Manifest Destiny - An Enclave Tale - Episode I
by BrettK
Summary: The Enclave were perceived as a group of genocidal maniacs in the west. So much so, that the New California Republic and Brotherhood of Steel decided to take matters into their own hands to rid California of any remaining remnants of the organization after the Enclave Oil Rig exploded. However, even with all the opposition. Some old dogs, never die. And the Enclave is no exception.
1. Chapter I: War, War Never Changes

_December 19th, 2246_

 _"Goddammit, hold the fucking line you idiots!"_ These exact words begin to echo in the minds of the soldiers who were taking fire from every direction from small arms, lasers, and even some launchers which were tearing into the garrison. A few hours ago, the New California Republic in cooperation with the terrorist organization the Brotherhood of Steel had launched an assault on Camp Navarro. The assault came four years after the loss of the Enclave Oil Rig, which was suspected to have been caused by a saboteur. President Dick Richardson had died on the Oil Rig or Control Station ENCLAVE as it was known throughout the ranks, when what was suspected as a reactor leak which soon caused the entire platform to explode. The Vice President was also determined to have died in the explosion, rendering the remaining forces of the Enclave without any established leadership. With the loss of the Control Station and lack of official leadership, the New California Republic finally took the opportunity to wipe out any remaining Enclave forces from the face of America. Camp Navarro was under the command of Colonel Pearce, a hard-nose Enclave soldier who didn't approve of weakness in any form. He had been desperately leading a defense of Navarro, even though the situation seemed hopeless. _"Sir, I am receiving a radio transmission from the eastern side of the base. You may want to take a listen."_ A radio operator would begin to turn up one of his hand-held radios, allowing the Colonel to listen. _"Sigma-9 to base. Come in base. This is Captain Richard; my forces are mostly gone over here due to the barrage of laser fire from the Brotherhood and rifle fire from the New California Republic. We're losing ground here!"_ The colonel would shout into the sky, clearly enraged with anger as he grabbed the radio from the operator. _"Now you listen here, CAPTAIN RICHARD! You are to HOLD your ground. You are to REPEAL the enemy. You are to WIN the battle. You are not to WITHDRAW or RETREAT. Do I make MYSELF CLEAR?!"_ Silence was present on the radio. The Colonel, waited rather impatiently for a response as he prepared to speak again before hearing the static of the radio come back on. However, instead of the voice of Captain Richard that he had just heard, a new voice was present. _"For the commander listening to this. We are to win the battle. Don't retreat before we kill you, alright?"_

This voice sounded calm, collected, which made it intimidating. It was as if this was beginning to be too easy of a battle for whoever that was. The Colonel, refusing to be intimidated responded. _"Who is this? IDENTIFY YOURSELF?"_ Static was present, but soon a response. _"Star Paladin Pincer…you Genocidal Star Spangled Fuck."_ Soon, the radio completely cut out. No more static, no more noise. Just utter silence. _"We lost the signal. I can only assume the eastern force is now gone."_ Colonel Pearce was not dissuaded from his current course after the new events, and began to pick up his plasma pistol from the table and headed out of his office. _"Weak soldiers. Let the Colonel show you how it's done."_ As the Colonel left, the radio operator looked at the man in disgust. _"He's going to get himself and everyone killed."_ The sounds of shots from various weapons were heard, proceeding to get closer and closer to Navarro. The operator soon left the office, heading to the COMMS tent. As he arrived, he was saluted by some of the operators. _"Lieutenant. Welcome back."_ The lieutenant didn't immediately respond, quickly making his way to a table in the center of the room and slouching over it in deep thought. _"Get me anything that details the personnel on this base."_ The operators would look at the lieutenant confused, _"Sir? What exactly are you asking of us?"_ The lieutenant would sigh, looking up. _"Get me some sort of manifest, of the personnel on this base. Hurry up, we don't have much time."_ As the operator tried to make more conversation, the lieutenant smashed his right hand on the table and ordered them to do it. The operators soon began printing any documents that may give them information on who was stationed within the base, placing them on the tables with the lieutenant looking them over. _"Raul, Quincy, Schreber, William Brandice, Daisy Whiteman, and Judah Kreger. Find them now, and bring them here. The rest of you doing nothing, go to the armory and get as many weapons as you can. Load them up in trunks, and get them back here. If you can round up any soldiers that will listen, tell them by order of Lieutenant Washington, they are henceforth ordered to proceed to the COMMS tent for evacuation."_

The other radio operators soon began to abandon their post, rushing out of the tent to various areas of the base to accomplish their assigned task. Washington knew that his word wouldn't probably mean much, but everyone knew that this base was going down, no matter how much they didn't wish to say it. And Washington hoped that anyone valuing their survival would respond to the call. Within fifteen minutes, a small crowd had met the lieutenant in the tent. It wasn't huge, maybe around twenty who weren't fighting and responded to the call. However, the people who he called were there. And that was the plus. Various crates were also brought in, stacked on top of each other. By this point, the gunfire had reached the outter perimeter of the base. And if they were to wait any longer to escape, it would be foiled. _"Gentlemen, today is the day we say goodbye to Camp Navarro. I can't explain all that will happen from this point on, but I will say this. I solemnly swear to defend the values of the United States of America. And if you all are still patriots, I can assure you I will try my best to ensure that we survive and rebuild. If you're with me, we must soon make our way to the Vertibird. If you are not, then I wish you good luck with your endeavors."_ The men stayed, showing their trust in the lieutenant. _"Alright, get moving then men! Hurry!"_ The soldiers, mechanics, doctors, and the rest of everyone who decided to embark on this mission began to grab the crates and lead them outside, all while hell sounded off all around them. The Vertibird was to be piloted by Daisy, as she began the startup sequence. The gate soon blew open, showing NCR troops smashing through the perimeter and taking shots at the Vertibird. _"Hurry up! They're coming through!"_

Judah Kreger spoke up, armed with his plasma rifle as he responded to Daisy on his radio. _"Daisy, get everyone loaded. I'll hold them off."_ Lieutenant Washington, hearing this transmission soon followed Kreger. Equipped with his power armor, and plasma pistol. He joined the fight. _"Lieutenant, what are you doing?!"_ Washington would continue to fire at the approaching NCR troopers, and occasionally open fire at some of the Brotherhood Paladins that had begun to come into the perimeter. _"Leading from the front! Fall back to the Vertibird, ensure everyone is loaded. I'll be right behind you."_ Kreger handed the lieutenant his plasma rifle, swapping for the pistol as he nodded in respect to the lieutenant. _"God speed, lieutenant."_ Kreger would make his way back to the Vertibird, assisting with the loading as the lieutenant would proceed to hold off the approaching hordes. His power armor was getting dented from the shots of the NCR Service Rifles, but nothing compared to the laser fire. Soon into the firefight, Washington spotted an oddly colored Paladin approaching. The Paladin seemed to be in charge, as he ordered the men to halt their fire as he approached the lieutenant pointing the rifle at him. In his hand, he held the head and power armor helmet of Colonel Pearce as he threw it towards the feet of the lieutenant. Washington looked at it in disgust. Although he didn't agree with the Colonel, seeing him dismembered like that was rather unsettling. _"Star Paladin Pincer, I assume?"_ The Star Paladin would take off his helmet, revealing his face. He was an African American, possibly in his early 40's. Across his face was sweat due to the heavy fighting of the battle, with a distinct scar that stretched from eye to eye, down to his upper nose. Almost tribal in a sense, and sported a grin that could only be described as the look of a devil. _"Your commanding officer is dead. Your base will be mine. Surrender now, and your death will be quick and painless."_

Washington was taken back. This paladin was fearless, and seemed to have a knack for combat. It was probably unwise to challenge him; however, Washington knew that he couldn't turn tail and run. It would set a bad example for a superior officer. _"You challenged the Enclave, and now you personally challenge me? How much of a war dog do you presume yourself to be?"_ Pincer merely smiled at the meager banter. _"Enough talk. I believe we should settle this one on one. See who can really kick ass."_ Washington thought for a moment. _"Is he serious? A fist fight with all his men around? No chance, I just need to stall a little."_ Pincer stood, cracking his knuckles within his power armor. _"Common, I don't have all day. I have a base to capture."_ Washington would merely shake his head, _"No deal."_ Soon, a shot would ring out of his plasma rifle into Pincers armor as Washington would take cover. _"Oh, you're dead you star spangled son of a bitch!"_ Washington would see Pincer charging at him, and fired more shots, with none of them seeming to dissuade the star paladin from his charge. Once he caught up with him, the two began to engage in a fist fight within their power armor. Pincer had his helmet back on, sending a kick into Washingtons hands and knocking the plasma rifle away. Washington, without his weapon retaliated by attempting a takedown maneuver. He swiped the feet of the star paladin, causing him to fall flat on his back, before delivering some punching into his helmet. As the two wrestled on the ground, it appeared that Pincer was getting the upper hand, sending more and more shots to various parts of his body. The pain Washington was feeling was immense, with the feeling of blood running down various parts of his body within the power armor. However, despite this. He continued to fight with all he could. Soon, a green beam passed over the men, which both looked to see where it came from. Kreger, was holding the Plasma rifle as he aimed it at Pincer. _"Alright, playtime is over."_ Kreger shot another shot, knocking the star paladin off of Washington and proceeded to pull Washington away. As the lieutenant was placed on the Vertibird, he slowly smiled. _"Hidden Valley, Nevada."_ These were the last words he said before losing consciousness as they took off. Suffering from the immense pain he had gained from fighting the star paladin. It was possible that he had broken some bones, and maybe some internal bleeding. However, as he faded away. He could see the remains of the base through the windows of the Vertibird. Showing NCR and BoS forces fully begin to occupy it. _"Don't worry lieutenant. You have proven to be a rather tough bastard. Maybe you'll be something greater in the future."_ Kreger ended, allowing the Doctors onboard to attempt to stabilize him for the trip. The Enclave may have fallen at Navarro, but with the lieutenant. A new hope may be born.


	2. Chapter II: A New Start

_December 19_ _th_ _, 2246_

The escape from Navarro had been a hasty one, with an even more hastily prepared arrival location. Lieutenant Washington before passing out, ordered the Vertibird to head to the Mojave Wasteland to a place called Hidden Valley. Nobody was sure what Hidden Valley was nor did they know why they were ordered to go there, but as soldiers they followed their orders. Daisy Whitman their pilot, flew to the Mojave Wasteland under the cover of darkness that descended on the flight rapidly after evacuating the base. As she approached Hidden Valley as marked on her charts within the Vertibird, she descended the helicopter down to the ground and shut off the engines. _"This the place? It sure does look kinda dead,"_ asked Kreger who could only see hills of sand and make out some radscorpions. _"This is what I got on my charts. If that's wrong, then it's not my fault."_ Daisy would turn around from her controls to Kreger, as he would sigh. _"I hope the lieutenant is right. I'll take a squad outside the craft and scout. Keep everyone else inside until we can signal back an all clear."_ Daisy would nod and Kreger together with Orion Moreno, and Cannibal Johnson would leave the safety of the Vertibird and venture outside. As they walked around, they noticed the sand mounds were not just mounds, but had entrances like that of a bunker complex. _"Boys, I think the lieutenant is leading us to some pre-war bunkers. Problem is, we need to find out which is which."_ As Kreger barked out his orders to his squad, Doctor Schreber had stabilized the lieutenant and was managing his condition to the best of his abilities. _"If we can't get the lieutenant into a medical facility, he will certainly crash and die."_ Daisy, turning to the crew looked straight at Schreber. _"We won't be doing anything, until the place is scouted. We don't need to be ambushed when trying to get to safety."_ Schreber would shake his head, but would accept the remark without much more hesitation. As Kreger and his team finished clearing the bunkers, they returned to the Vertibird twenty minutes later. _"It's clear. The lieutenant seems to have known a pre-war bunker complex was underneath this place, as we found it and took care of some bugs that were inhabiting the place. We can move all this stuff inside."_ The crew proceeded to offload all the equipment, taking it down into the cleared bunker complex. Washington was placed in one of the beds, as Doctor Schreber worked to crack his bones into place and create a makeshift cast for his bones to heal into place. After two hours, the lieutenant would awaken with a small cough. _"Did we-..make it?"_ Schreber, still being nearby would smile. _"We did, sir. We made it to the location you spoke of. The gear is being unloaded as we speak and we're getting acquainted with the complex's defenses."_ A smile would creep across the face of Washington, as he would stay lying down. _"This is where true rebuilding of America begins. This, is where we make America great again."_

 _January 1_ _st_ _, 2248_

Over a year past for the Enclave Remnants, as they proceeded to settle into their new home at Hidden Valley. Daisy had taken the Vertibird to a small hidden refueling station a bit north west of Vegas, to keep it there for safe keeping and returned on foot with a small escort back to Hidden Valley. The bunker over the year, had been converted into the headquarters of the Remnants. With the first floor containing the personnel quarters, shooting range, armory, medical bay, and a classroom. On the second floor was were the command center was located. Lieutenant Washington had received himself a field promotion to General Washington, with no objections from his men to the appointment. Captain Judah Kreger had been promoted to Colonel, serving as second in command to Washington. Not only was the command center located on the second floor, but the archive room, a workshop, and a virtual reality simulation room for training. The only thing the bunker did not have was a science lab, but that was something planned for a much later project. On top settling, General Washington ordered for scouting missions to take place around the Mojave Wasteland to gather information about the area and prepare a detailed analysis on threats, towns, and if possible locate any fleeing Enclave personnel from the New California Republic. This lead to Washington's Remnants running into various towns, and establishing small protection relationships with them in exchange for information. This lead to some slight competition with the local Desert Rangers of the Mojave, but nothing of a serious nature to be concerned about. Over time, the Enclave scouts managed to assimilate fleeing enclave members back into the Enclave, bringing the original twenty that escaped Navarro to forty-five. Not large, but something for Washington to work with. The Mojave was ripe for ambition. With a lack of a centralized authority to govern the lands and the raiders and super mutants engaging in war with the locals, Washington saw a chance to begin his ambition to restore America right within the Mojave.

He called for a meeting between himself, Colonel Kreger, Doctor Henry, and Quincy. As Washington sat at his desk, he twiddled his fingers as he awaited from them to come down. _"Don't worry sir, you're going to do fine."_ Kreger would reassure the general, who he saw was a little nervous about this meeting. _"The Mojave holds a lot of unforeseen danger. Our numbers are precious more then ever before, and I need to make moves that will only serve to benefit us."_ Kreger would chuckle, crossing his arms as he stood beside the general. _"You've benefited us in more ways than once already, sir. You must take more credit where it's due."_ It was then, that his requested participants to his meeting had arrived. _"Good morning, sir."_ Quincy would remark, as Henry would sigh to himself and make his way inside. _"Gentlemen, thank you for coming to this meeting. We have much to discuss."_ Henry would look around, seeing no real place to sit as he would turn his head back to the general. _"Sir, do we not get anywhere to sit for this meeting?"_ Washington would look around, obviously having forgot to check with Quincy about the chair order earlier. _"My apologies. It appears I have forgotten to check on that order. Uh, Quincy do you have any information on that."_ Before Quincy could respond, three chairs would be brought into the room in front of the general's desk and they would all take a seat. _"As I was saying, before my chair error. We have much to discuss."_ Washington would reach underneath his desk, and pull out a stack of papers and place them on his desk. _"Sir, don't tell us we need to file this paperwork and that we're behind on something."_ The general would merely smile, _"No, not in the slightest. These reports are already filed and done on time. It's the contents of the files I am referring to."_ Washington would bring turn his attention to a map of the Mojave on the wall, showing pointing the men into it's direction. _"Take a look at this map, while I explain. These reports are all the intelligence reports of The Mojave we have managed to observe and evaluate over the past year. I would like to share with you all the findings."_ The map pointer would move itself towards the center of the map, stopping on the location of Las Vegas. _"This, is the center of what used to be Las Vegas. Amazingly, it seems to be relatively unscathed along with the rest of the Mojave Wasteland. Odd, considering that I'm sure the Chinese had plenty of nukes pointed at this location during the Sino-American war. Yet somehow, it survives and is occupied by various tribal groups. This intelligence report was taken a month after we arrived in the Mojave."_ The map pointer would begin to move again, stopping on a location not far from Hidden Valley. _"Goodsprings. That is what this town is called. Nice people, simple town. We have established a small relation with them to provide some protection by dealing with any raiders they come across. Showing that these people are merely survivors of the war."_ The map marker would move again, this time centering on what appeared to be an Air Force base. "Nellis Air Force Base. We have not been able to gather any real intel on this place, due to observing that anyone who gets close to the facility is mowed down by artillery, preventing getting any information for that area. We toyed with the idea of flying a Vertibird over it, but don't wish to find any more surprises. Last intelligence report for this area was six months ago." The map marker would now move west again on the map, north of Goodsprings. "This is Sloan. A mining town, that seems to have a problem with Deathclaws in an old quarry. Haven't been able to obtain more information than that though. That report is four months old." The map would return to the east, stopping a bit of way before reaching the border of Nevada-Arizona. _"Hoover Dam. According to our scouts, it's still appears to be functioning. A tune up here and there, and it can supply enough power for a nation."_

Washington would finish moving the marker, looking back at his group of three who sat in front of him to see where this was going. _"Gentlemen, this is the formula for a great nation. We have a City untouched from the nuclear war, a power plant to restore electricity, a mining town to provide raw materials, and a populace that would be at least willing to work with us. Not to mention the still remaining factories in the city which can be fixed and placed into service. My point being Las Vegas is where I plan to begin rebuilding America."_ The men would look happy at these new bonuses; however Henry would raise his hand. _"Sir, if you have made up your mind on this. Why did you call us down?"_ Washington would shift his gaze directly to Henry, and smile. _"I'm glad you asked doctor. I called you all down to call for some changes in our ideology. We all remember the Dick Richardson policy of genocide across the United States and allowing the Enclave members to take back the land with no resistance. Well, I'm not Dick Richardson. I want to create an America, that is built on the backs of the fine people who survived the nuclear war and are willing to work for a better future. Genocide is no longer a policy I wish to be associated with, or enforce. I want all Americans to take part in rebuilding their once fine nation, and to use them to bolster our depleted forces with new recruits."_ Doctor Henry would nod and Colonel Kreger would speak next. _"Sir, I wholeheartedly agree with this shift in policy. I never agreed with the practices of the old enclave and always felt a change was needed. Glad to see I was not alone in my thinking."_ Henry would join Kreger in declaring his support, happy that maybe his research could truly begin to improve the wasteland instead of kill it in favor of some misleaded goal with a misleading purpose.

After ensuring agreement, Washington smirked in accomplishment. _"I'm glad we all agree to this new course of action. However, we must not be hasty. We first need to establish some real ground in the Mojave before we can begin our ambitious program. And I already have our first objective."_ The map marker would begin to move, centering on Mojave Outpost. _"Here, is the headquarters of the Desert Rangers. A group with noble goals, seeking to protect the Mojave from the super mutants and raiders. I wish to establish official diplomatic ties with them, allying them into a coalition to begin taking the Mojave. With their respected status, and our manpower. Taking the Mojave may not be so hard."_ Colonel Kreger would stand up from his seat, stretching for a second before responding. _"Leave that to me, sir. I'll personally make my way to the outpost to establish contact. We've been in a little competition for clientele in the Mojave. This might resolve some friction between our two and strive for a better goal."_ Washington would nod in approval, _"You may assemble a team without delay. I want this to be done by the ground, no Vertibird."_ Colonel would nod, and begin to make his way out of the room to plan for is diplomatic venture. Henry and Quincy, the remaining two members of the meeting soon stood up as Washington spoke up. _"You two, you have a new job. As you two know, we are unable to produce new units of Power Armor, or new Vertibirds. With my plan, we shall eventually regain that knowledge when we have the resources, but we must make do with the cards we are given. In the meantime, I want some new armor to be developed. Not Power Armor, merely some makeshift Power Armor that we could dish out to incoming recruits in the future. Do this, and you will be helping to establish our remnant as a force with some power behind it in the Mojave. Dismissed."_ The men soon left the office, with Washington sighing. _"This may be the beginning. But that's the most vulnerable time for anything. Hope this works out."_ Washington said to himself, as he stood up and proceeded to his quarters.


	3. Chapter III: Partnerships of Dust

_January 2_ _nd_ _, 2248_

The Mojave Desert, as it was known in the pre-war days was known for the dryness that scathed the countryside. Even though back then, America had plenty of water to quench the thirst of your everyday American citizen, if you didn't know this piece of American history then you would wonder how anyone managed to live and build a city in the Mojave. This of course, doesn't even account for the extreme temperatures. The Mojave was infamous for its temperatures, with the winter months getting much colder to around twenty degrees Fahrenheit on valley floors to zero degrees Fahrenheit at higher elevations. These were the times that snow could be found within the Mojave, but usually a lot more rain from the storm systems coming down from the Pacific Northwest. In the spring time, this rain is much more widespread, but lacks in the frequency of winter months. Summer is the worst out of all, with temperature rising above one hundred and twenty degrees Fahrenheit. Combine this with low humidity and low pressures, and you'll have thunderstorms all across the southwest. These conditions of the Mojave Wasteland probably is the main reason why anyone who ventured across the Mojave today rarely ever expresses a desire for another season to hit the Mojave. However, for the Enclave, the climate would not be a determining factor in deciding objectives. The Mojave had been part of the United States of America in the pre-war times, and by the word of General Washington would rejoin the union. Colonel Kreger had equipped himself in your standard Enclave Officer Uniform and carried only a plasma pistol on his side holster. He was flanked on his left by Specialist Orion Moreno who carried a gatling laser, and Corporal Cannibal Johnson who carried a plasma rifle. On his right, he was flanked by Private Davidson who had been conscripted into this little journey as they made their way from Hidden Valley to Mojave Outpost, and was equipped with a laser rifle.

Journeying through the Mojave on foot during the cold was a struggle, but was not impossible. Colonel Kreger's uniform was designed to act as an all-purpose uniform, equipped both for combat operations, and protection against the harsh conditions of the wasteland. Moreno, Johnson, and Davidson wore their Advanced Power Armor from the Enclave which came equipped with an air conditioning system which they all had tuned for heat. Around them, the desert looked more like a winter wonder land. Snow littered the ground, converting the dry sand into wet snow and the entire Mojave landscape looked like something expressed in a pre-war Christmas novel. Just without the colorful lights. _"How much farther to the outpost."_ Moreno asked, obviously wishing for them to arrive. _"Not much farther now. We passed Primm about an hour ago, so we have to be close."_ Moreno would begin to speak again, but would quickly turn around after being pelted by something. As he would turn around, another pellet would hit him. _"God, you're so annoying Johnson!"_ Looking to Johnson, his plasma rifle would be holstered upon his back and he would be making snowballs. _"Hey, just having my own fun Moreno. Maybe you should enjoy the snow."_ Private Davidson would look at the two argue, as he would shake his head. _"Geez sir, do they always argue like this?"_ The colonel would shake his head towards Davidson, occasionally glancing back to see Johnson continue to throw snowballs at the back of Oreno as they would walk and him getting madder each time. _"Afraid so. You'll get used to it."_ As they continued to march, they began to see a small building approaching on the right side of the highway. _"Look sir, a structure. Maybe we can take a break and rest up for the night."_ Kreger, looked in the direction of where the private had pointed and also spotted the same structure. _"Looks like an old highway patrol station. Stay sharp, there may be some junkies in here."_ Kreger would reach down to his holster, taking out his plasma pistol. _"JOHNSON! I swear to the Enclave, if another one of those snowballs hit me, it'll be your ass!"_ Johnson would only laugh, aggravating Moreno. _"Knock it off you two."_ Kreger would say, finally being irritated with their behavior. _"He started it!"_ Both Johnson and Moreno would say, pointing to each other.

As they would approach the entrance of the highway patrol station, they would proceed to stack up on the door. _"Stand back Johnson, let the big man show you how to soldier."_ Moreno would yank Johnson away from the door, placing himself in the front of the stack up. Davidson would be behind Moreno, followed by Kreger. _"Johnson, just cover our rear. I've had just about enough of you two for an evening."_ Johnson would make his way to the back of the stack-up, making sure to forcefully bump Moreno's shoulder on his way. _"Alright, on three Moreno."_ As Kreger would begin counting, the second he started Moreno would kick open the door and proceed inside with Davidson following. Once inside, two fiends would begin to open fire on Moreno with SMG's. Moreno would quickly mow them down with his gatling laser, clearing the lobby area. Davidson would proceed behind Moreno towards the hallway, covering behind the wall as he cleared the bathrooms and Kreger cleared down to the cells. _"All, clear!"_ Kreger would holster his plasma pistol into its holster as Moreno, Johnson, and Davidson all announced their all clears. As they all regrouped in the main lobby, Kreger looked to Moreno. _"I said on three, what happened back there?!"_ Moreno would shrug his shoulders, _"Could've swore I heard movement and thought they were onto our stack. Couldn't wait."_ As Davidson would focus on clearing the area for any good salvage, Johnson would speak up. _"Yea, I wonder how they could've heard us. I'm sure I was being quiet."_ Moreno would point his gatling laser at Davidson, who in turn would point his plasma rifle at Moreno. _"Enough! You two are like some brothers with family issues. It's the same thing every operation, yet somehow you two manage to get in the dumbest fight and get on each other's nerves."_ Kreger would look at both with a stern face, as they would lower their weapons from each other. _"I've finished clearing the area, sir. Nothing real significant."_ Davidson would finish, placing his rifle next to a filing cabinet. _"We're going to hold up here for the night, and regain some of our energy. Johnson, try and establish contact with base and tell them our status. Let them know we're alive and alright."_ Johnson would acknowledge Kreger with a "Yes, sir." And proceed to attempt to rig a ham radio to the Hidden Valley frequency. _"The rest of you, rest. We'll be heading right back out in the morning to the outpost. Just taking a break."_

 _January 3_ _rd_ _, 2248_

The rest of the night was marked by an awkward silence within the highway patrol station. After Johnson managed to radio Hidden Valley to inform them of their status, nobody really felt like talking. Moreno and Johnson didn't wish to engage in another argument, bringing internal satisfaction to Kreger who sat at one of the desks and later fell asleep on it. Davidson, not wishing to show cause any discontent between Moreno and Johnson with the colonel asleep stayed quiet and to himself for the night. He slept close to the door, hoping to be the first line of defense in case of an attack against the station. Moreno, slept in the cell area on one of the cots. His power armor laid dormant beside the cot, with his weapon slid underneath him and Johnson feel asleep within one of the bathrooms, laying down behind a closed door. Not the most comfortable, but at least it was peaceful. The next morning, Kreger rounded up the team and they began continuing their journey to Mojave Outpost. The trip took three hours, with the team encountering a group of radscorpions around a gas station close to Nipton and some feral ghouls that happened to be roaming. Eventually, they reached Mojave Outpost on top of a rather long hill. _"Tell me that's our place."_ Moreno still sore over the length of the journey. _"Yes, this looks like the place."_ As the men came fully up from climbing the hill, they were greeted with a woman dressed in long brown duster coat that floated freely in the breeze. She wore a brown cowboy hat, with a black leather belt around her waistline which housed her pistol. _"Halt, state your business."_

Kreger, leading the team from the front would approach the woman and stop only a few feet from her. _"Ma'am, I'm Colonel Kreger of the Enclave. Behind me is my team of Specialist Moreno, Corporal Johnson, and Private Davidson. We came to talk with your leadership."_ The woman would look at the men and their armor, as she would sigh. _"Enclave huh? You do know you aren't too popular out west right? NCR has been putting large bounties on your heads."_ Kreger would nod to the woman, _"I am aware of that ma'am, but my Enclave is no longer associated with the one the NCR is after. We're fighting for the same goals as your organization."_ The woman would chuckle, taking a spit towards the feet of the colonel. _"All Enclave is the same to me. All genocidal pricks if you ask me, and I don't believe at all you are fighting for the same goals as the Desert Rangers."_ As Kreger looked down to the area where the ranger had spit, he sighed. He was about to look back up and say something, but was interrupted in his thought by a shout. _"Katelyn! What's the situation there?!"_ Kreger would look up to see a man, wearing a similar outfit as the woman with the addition of a sheriff badge on his duster and his hat. Katelyn would turn around, flashing a smirk. _"Just some Enclave soldiers, seem to have lost their way."_ The man would make his way over to Katelyn, looking over the soldiers for himself. _"Enclave? I thought you all were destroyed out west by the NCR. What business do you have here?"_ Moreno, Johnson, and Davidson would merely stare at the three, as they kept a little back and stayed silent. _"Maybe we should be closer to the colonel?"_ Davidson would say, as Johnson would shake his head. _"No, the colonel knows what he is doing. And if he doesn't, we'll back him up then. Not before."_ Davidson would accept the explanation, but still look uneasy. Good thing he had his power armor on to hide his expression he was exhibiting underneath it.

" _We…defected. The Enclave you are referring to is corrupt and evil, and we do not wish to be associated with them nor follow or take orders from them. We're merely a group in the wasteland trying to help out."_ The man would extend his hand out to the colonel, as Kreger would take it and proceed to shake his hand. _"Chief Ranger Devon. I got reports around the wasteland that you boys have helped out some folk from time to time with security problems."_ The handshake would end, with Kreger speaking after he was finished. _"Yes, we have offered some solutions to some problems for places. And we're here to offer the Desert Rangers some solutions."_ Devon would look to Katelyn, who would look at him in a scolding manner. _"What could the Enclave possibly offer a solution for, that isn't final?"_ Katelyn would inquire, keeping her calm but spiteful demeanor as Devon would look to the colonel for a response. _"The Desert Rangers are a symbol of justice in the Mojave. You're respected by its people, and feared by its raiders. However, you are rather small. Unable to police the entire Mojave to the extent it needs protecting. I am here to make an offer."_ Devon would cross his arms together, _"Go on."_ Kreger would continue after being requested, _"An alliance. Between the Desert Rangers and the Enclave. With your reputation and skill, and our technology and weapons. We can end the fear that raider gangs have spread across the Mojave and replace it with hope. All we ask in return for this alliance, is support from the Desert Rangers in helping establish the Mojave as an Independent power. Able to withstand annexation from the New California Republic."_ Katelyn would raise an eyebrow, as Devon would look rather unsure. _"And what makes you think the New California Republic is going to annex the Mojave?"_ Kreger would merely turn around, viewing the entire Mojave Landscape from the outpost. _"Just look at it. The Mojave has a Dam to supply power, functioning settlements, pre-war factories that can be placed back into operation, and an unscathed landscape not decimated by the Great War. This will soon become prime real estate for an expanding New California Republic. And knowing the NCR, they won't take no for an answer if they want something."_

Devon rubbed the bottom of his chin, as Katelyn merely shook her head while looking at Devon. _"You can't honestly be considering an alliance with these genocidal maniacs. We should be arresting them and handing them off to the New California Republic in return for assurances they shall not annex the Mojave."_ Devon would look to Katelyn with a look of deep thought, irritating Katelyn. _"Oh common! At least make them prove that they are no longer with the Enclave the NCR is after. Hold them their word!"_ Devon would look back to the colonel, who would stand there patiently awaiting an answer. _"I concur with Katelyn's point. A test is to show that you are indeed no longer fighting for the principles of the old Enclave. And I have just the task if you're interested."_ Kreger would look the ranger in the eye, as he would speak confidently. _"Give us the task, and we'll get it done."_ Devon would grin, as he would begin to explain their next mission.


	4. Chapter IV: Alliance or Bust

**Authors Note:**

Going to be experimenting with my writing style to get used to better structuring these and formatting. It may be a tiny bit inconsistent from this point on, but please bear with me through it. Would rather the story have pause points throughout chapters, then walls of text.

* * *

 _January 5_ _th_ _, 2248_

" _You have got to be kidding me."_ Moreno would whine, following to the right side of Kreger. _"At least tell me we have some intel about this place."_ Following the highway from Mojave Outpost back towards Hidden Valley, Kreger had stopped back at base to conscript a few more followers for their mission. On top of Kreger, Moreno, Davidson, and Johnson came Private Heathers equipped with a laser rifle, Private First Class Beazy equipped with a gatling laser, and Sergeant Adams. Kreger also switched his officer uniform for his Advanced Power Armor, equipping a himself with a plasma rifle to replace his plasma pistol.

" _Stop your whining. We're doing this whether you agree with it or not."_ One of the men in their group would speak in a rather husky voice, carrying a plasma rifle. On his chest, would be a painted emblem of a sergeant, indicating he was a full non-commissioned officer. _"Yes, sergeant."_ Grumbled Moreno as he continued to march.

Up ahead was a gate, which seemed to lead out to a windy street. _"Look sharp, this is the place."_ Kreger leading from the front, motioned Moreno and Beazy to move in closer to his position. The gate was a simple latch, able to be lifted and once it was the men soon found themselves on the street marching in a v-like formation.

" _I don't like this. A colony of Super Mutants? And we're supposed to just deal with them? Those Desert Rangers seem to just want us to do all the work for them."_ Johnson, tiring of Moreno complaining the trip began to speak up.

" _I don't like how every time we go on operation, you have to complain about everything. Why's it so far, can't we take a Vertibird, why not use the rocket launcher, can we just kill them all."_ Johnson would continue his little rant, but would soon be stopped after receiving a clunk in the head from one of the troopers. _"Shut up Corporal. Stay alert."_ Sergeant Adams would lower his weapon down from Johnsons head, as Johnson would slightly rub the back of it.

As the group would proceed up the road climbing the hill, Heathers would notice something out of the corner of her eye that appeared to be moving and completely disappear. She ignored it the first two times, but it just kept happening and began to make her rather paranoid. _"Is it just me, or is there a ghost or something around here?"_ This comment would cause Kreger to order a full halt, with the men forming a circle perimeter and Kreger would look over to Heathers.

" _Explain to me what you think you saw."_ Heathers, looking around in the direction the strange ghost had appeared to attempt to spot it, had no luck. _"I'm not sure. I thought I saw something…like, it would be there moving and suddenly nothing. Almost like a invisible sorta forcefield."_ As Heathers finished that sentence, she would begin to spot something in the distance rushing towards her.

" _Those aren't ghosts, those are nightkin! We're being ambushed, Open fire!"_ Within mere seconds, seven nightkin would begin to unstealth and rush towards the squad armed with rebar clubs and super sledges. Laser and plasma fire erupted from the circle in the directions of all the attackers.

" _This is why I serve in the infantry! Die you mutated bastards!"_ Moreno would manage to take down two of the nightkin with just his gatling laser, while Davidson and Heather would take down another. The remaining three would begin to cloak and move, making it difficult to put down real fire on them. Unfortunately, Heathers found this out two late. One of the nightkin had made it close enough to uncloak only a foot away from her, and swing his club.

Heather would be knocked to the ground, with the nightkin also taking a swing at Davidson. Davidson would dodge the attack, using his laser rifle to lay down fire underneath his armpits. Ensuring the strikes were slower and more controlled to effectively dodge before taking down the mutant.

" _You alright?"_ Davidson would hold out his hand, to which Heathers would grip onto it and be pulled to her feet.

" _Yea, golden. They got some swinging power."_ They would chuckle together, as Heathers would pick up her rifle that had fallen when she was hit.

On the Kreger front, Kreger had begun engaging in a tactic of his own. He had been dealing with a nightkin with a super sledge, making it vital that he dodge the incoming hits. Power Armor was not the most reliable thing when it came to speed while dodging, but somehow Kreger no matter how uncomfortable it had to be made it work. When the super mutant would swing, Kreger would fire into the mutants armpit and proceed to follow by a direct strike to the chest as hard as he could.

" _Damn humans! Stay still!"_ The nightkin would yell out, appearing very frustrated with Kregers tactic. The nightkin would keep attempting to swing, with Kreger repeating his strategy. It was obviously working to his favor, as every swing was getting slower and slower until finally the mutant fell flat on his back in too much pain to continue fighting. _"That'll teach you to mess with me, mutie."_

Johnson, Adams, and Beazy would focus on the last two. As the super mutants charged them, they focused on one at a time in a concentrated effort of fire from their weapons, easily taking the first one down. The second only managed to get a few hits, before reaching the team. They all bolted to all sides, rushing around the nightkin in a circle while hitting him with shots from their rifles. The nightkin, overloaded with this information attempted to swing in a circular motion and lost his balance every time.

" _Stop. Stop! I give up!"_ The nightkin would be on the ground, slouched over in pain.

Adams would order his squad to ceasefire, surrounding the mutant on all sides. Kreger, seeing this made his way to the nightkin and bent down on a knee to match his height. The mutant, had spit some blood on the road showing that he was internally bleeding. _"You win, you win. We just want to be left alone!"_

The nightkin would begin to cough, and for a moment Kreger would actual feel sorry for him. However, this was short lived. The sound of rifles from all directions being pointed at the squad made Kreger stand and look around. In their distraction, they had allowed regular super mutants from above them to get them into their sites.

" _Someone should've been watching the perimeter!"_ Kreger barked out, as one of the mutants would rush down the road towards the men.

" _Human, Marcus has requested your presence in the broadcasting building. He only wants the leader, while the rest of you stay here."_

A green tainted mutant would speak from a distance to the squad, as Kreger would step up to meet him. _"What assurances do I have that my men will not be harmed in my absence."_

" _Don't you worry about that, sir. If these bastards try anything, I'll pump them full of laser. And ask the questions later."_ Moreno would state in a sadistic, cheerful manner which was unsettling but comforting for Kreger.

" _Lead the way. And Sergeant Adams, you're in charge."_ Adams would acknowledge the colonel, as Kreger and the mutant would make their way fully up the mountain.

As they would walk up, Kreger would notice the sheer amount of mutants that were on top of the mountain. As he watched the mutants look at him, the one leading the way to the broadcasting shack began to speak up.

" _Names Neil. And welcome to Black Mountain, sorry for the welcoming committee."_

" _Not really an issue. Why did they attack us, and what is going on here?"_ Kreger would inquire, as they would begin to pass a rather large crater where a nuclear bomb must have struck years ago. _"Not for me to answer. Marcus, shall answer all your questions."_

As they made their way up, Kreger had spotted a large radio tower that was still standing. Whether or not it was functional was another story, given the state of disrepair that it presented. They climbed up some stairs on the building at the end of the winding road and came into what appeared to be a broadcasting room with a super mutant standing in the middle of it.

" _Ah, you must be the leader of the group of humans. I am Marcus, the one in charge of this little community. Pleasure to meet you, and hope you come in peace."_ The mutant would stand with a rather light expression that exhibited confidence, yet nervousness. He stood with his arms by his side, staring into the eyes of the armor Kreger was wearing.

Kreger, attempting to ease the attention removed his helmet and set it down upon a nearby table revealing his face. _"I am Colonel Kreger, of the Enclave."_ The eyes of Marcus would grow, looking at the man with an expression of sadness.

" _So, you are here to exterminate my kind. I'm afraid I cannot allow you to do that."_

" _Not at all, my good sir. We're defectors of the original genocidal enclave. We do not support those policies and shall not be associated with them. We came here to negotiate with you."_ Kreger stood with confidence, flashing a smile.

" _Negotiate? What could the enclave, or excuse me. Your Enclave renegades hope to negotiate with us?"_ His eyes soon began to fall, beginning to get interested in the offer being presented.

" _The Super Mutants have been feared throughout the Wasteland from the remnants of Masters Army. You are disliked, hunted, and most just kill you guys on site after assuming you're immediately hostile. Which to be honest, is something not entirely false. I see from this little community, that you wish to attempt to live in relative isolation. However, in the Wasteland that is not an option someone can chose and expect to succeed in the long run."_

Marcus would sigh. What the human was saying was not incorrect. Seeing what happen to Broken Hills and how that experiment turned out left a scar on Marcus. With a New California Republic annexing new lands into theirs constantly, sooner or later his community would be forced to either assimilate or be assimilated forcefully with or without his kind. _"Go on."_

" _We are offering a new hope. The Enclave are moving to take the Mojave Wasteland for our own, and wish to establish an independent nation free from any NCR annexation. If I can have the support of your super mutants, we will promise to settle you into a nice location for you to enjoy your isolation without much hassle. In return, you and your super mutants assist us in claiming the Mojave as our own."_

Marcus would look rather puzzled, but enthusiastic at the offer in his expression. Isolation for his kind with little hassle seemed too good to be true. However, he didn't know if he could fully trust this new enclave. Thoughts of their actions in California spread through his mind. The problem was, that his alternative was to hope that the NCR would leave him alone when they arrive which he knew was not going to happen. This truly looked like his only chance to save his people.

" _Deal. The Enclave and the Super Mutants will join forces."_ Marcus would extend his hand out to Kreger, who would take it and give it a firm shake. _"Thank you for seeing reason, Marcus. You won't regret this. Also, we plan to assist you in gathering supplies for this community for now. So no more raiding caravans and small towns, alright?"_

 _January 8_ _th_ _, 2248_

After securing the alliance between the Enclave and the Super Mutants, Kreger made his way back to Hidden Valley to brief General Washington on the developments of his success. Washington was excited to say the least, knowing that with the Enclave and Super Mutants working together the troubles in the Mojave were decreasing. Washington soon after hearing the news, ordered the Enclave to assist in the development of Black Mountain. Attempting to repair the broadcasting tower and supplying food rations to allow the Super Mutants to stop raiding caravans for supplies. Once this business was concluded, Kreger and his squad made their way back to Mojave Outpost to tell of the success of their mission.

" _They're coming back!"_ Katelyn would shout out towards the outpost, which would spread to the office of Chief Ranger Devon who made his way outside. Coming up the road, four men in the familiar power armor from their last encounter would approach the station.

" _I suppose our Super Mutant problem is now dealt with?"_ Kreger would approach Devon, taking off his helmet and holds it underneath his right armpit.

" _Yes, the problem is dealt with. The Super Mutants will no longer be raiding any caravans."_ Kreger would say with a bit of roughness in his voice, from the cold.

" _Glad to hear it colonel. Now, about your offer..." Devon would be stopped from continuing, being turned to Katelyn._

" _You're actually gunna do it? We're going to ally with the Enclave?"_

" _Katelyn, they passed the test we gave them. And we're respected around these parts because we keep our word. We said if they fixed the Super Mutant problem, we would ally. The problem is fixed."_ Devon would explain to Katelyn in a calm collected tone. Causing her to sigh.

" _Fine..."_ Katelyn would cross her arms, looking a bit distrustful in her expression at Kreger.

Devon would turn back to him, taking out his revolver from his holster and holding it up into the sky a little above Kreger. _"Place your rifle cross with mine."_

Kreger would lift his rifle, crossing it with the rifle as it would point to the sky. At this point, more of the Desert Rangers would come outside the outpost to witness the ceremony about to unfold.

" _By order of Chief Ranger Devon. The Desert Rangers and the Enclave are now officially allies in a fight for the Mojave. We pledge to support and defend each other in our conquests of bringing peace and stability to the Mojave, and pledge to be loyal to each other."_ After Devon finished, Kreger would speak.

" _By order of Colonel Judah Kreger. The Enclave and the Desert Rangers are now officially allies in a fight for the Mojave. We pledge to support and defend each other in our conquests of bringing peace and stability to the Mojave, and pledge to be loyal to each other."_

Once Kreger would finish, the two would nod to each other and fire their rifles into the air to symbol a common fight. One of the rangers would bring out a camera, snapping a picture of the two in their pose.

" _Maybe one day, we'll commemorate this moment with a statute."_ The ranger would say, heading back inside as Kreger and Devon would lower theirs.

" _So, Colonel, what's the first step in our Mojave conquest."_ Devon would holster his weapon, as Kreger would point out onto the landscape towards a lighted area in the distance.

" _Las Vegas…."_


	5. Chapter V: An Offer You Can't Refuse

_January 16_ _th_ _, 2248_

Over the past week, General Washington formally entered into a formal treaty of friendship with the Mojave Desert Rangers, setting their alliance in stone at least as far as Washington was concerned. The terms of the agreement were fully hammered out, with Devon and Washington sitting face to face as the agreement was typed up. The Desert Rangers pledged in the treaty to stay loyal to the Enclave by providing support in terms of resources and reputation to help establish themselves in the Mojave among communities. In return, the Enclave promised to ensure the Mojave would stay independent and that the Enclave world work to make sure it prospered.

On a separate agreement, Marcus also formally met with the general and the two hammered an agreement on paper. Marcus and his group of Super Mutants would be relocated to a safe, autonomous region to serve as a refuge for Super Mutants of Masters Army and be given food and medical supplies. In return, the Super Mutants would cease raiding towns and caravans for resources, and also support the Enclave in their annexation of the Mojave by providing military support when requested.

After these two agreements were formally signed and negotiated, Washington began the next part of his strategy. He ordered a march on Las Vegas, heading up through Novac up the highway until they reached the city. Washington had commissioned a squad of fifteen to accompany him from the Enclave, leaving his second in command back at Hidden Valley to ensure the smooth operation of things. The Desert Rangers were requested to provide up to thirty members, while the Super Mutants were requested to send as many as possible.

Washingtons group of fifteen set up camp a bit east of Las Vegas, underneath an old highway that had been damaged during the Great War. A few days after setting up camp, they were joined by the Desert Rangers commanded by Katelyn, and the Super Mutants commanded by Neil. The end force, totaling fifty. A sizeable accomplishment in Washingtons eyes.

" _Wait, hold up. Since when did we join with the Frankensteins?"_ Katelyn scoffed, looking at Neil and his mutants.

" _They're with me. And they are under my authority for this operation, so don't worry your pretty little head."_

Katelyn would turn to see Washington, relaxing by the fire and guarded on each side by two of his soldiers who carried plasma rifles.

" _Who you calling pretty, young boy?"_ Katelyn would raise an eyebrow, grinning in Washingtons direction.

" _Boy? That must have been given a new meaning in the Wasteland, because if I recall this boy has done more in two weeks, then your rangers have managed in years."_ Washington would smirk right back at Katelyn, merely annoying her.

" _Whatever. Can we just get this over with?"_ Katelyn would cross her arms in defeat, as she attempted to speed the conversation along.

" _I would love to. However, something is off. Las Vegas last time we scouted it, didn't appear to be built up like it is. Now it has a perimeter wall, gates, and what appears to be some security all around the place."_ Washington would gaze towards the wall that would be propped up around Las Vegas.

" _You boys got some outdated intelligence. No wonder you need our help. New Vegas is under the rule of some guy named Mr. House. Runs the place out of the Lucky 38. Opened up shop a month ago."_ Katelyns tone would be one of laziness and sarcasm as she would finish. No doubt stirring up feelings inside of Washington.

" _Besides, most of this outer security are wanna-be thugs with nothing better to do. If they scare you, then you got some real issues." Katelyns grin would return, as she watched some of the New Vegas thugs post security outside of New Vegas._

" _It's not the thugs that scares me. It's this Mr. House character. He seems very resourceful. And he seems to be able to prop up defenses with efficiency. Just being cautious."_ Washington would proceed to stand up, dusting off his standard issue enclave officers uniform. _"Assemble your men you two, we'll be moving out soon."_

Washington would begin to organize his men, placing the heavy gunners in close proximity to himself and the riflemen on the outskirts. He planned to march into New Vegas as the locals were calling it, in a square formation. He would lead from the center, flanked by two heavy gunners on both sides, who would then be flanked by troopers with a plasma or a laser rifle accounting for a frontal formation seven including the commander. He organized the remaining seven into the rear guard, keeping the heavy gunners on the outskirts while keeping the plasma and laser rifle troopers closer to the center. As he organized his men he noticed that he had four troopers with gatling lasers, four with plasma rifles, and the remainder with laser rifles. This indicated that he had more privates then specialists or NCO's, but didn't let this bother him as they were all highly trained.

After organizing his lines, he made his way over to Katelyn who would be giving orders to her rangers. _"My men are ready, what about yours?"_

Katelyn would be startled by his sudden appearance, but soon collect herself. _"God you're fast. We'll be marching in an enlarged diamond formation behind your lines. Providing any cover, or long range support to your forces. And of course…allowing us to escape when shit hits the fan."_

Washington would sigh, only causing Katelyn to chuckle in front of him. _"I'm kidding. Although, it doesn't seem like a bad idea…"_

Katelyn would continue to laugh, with Washington merely excusing himself to go to Marcus. _"Marcus, I want your mutants to cover our sides with my team. Keep us rather close."_

Marcus would nod, sending out his group to join in with the Enclave formation as Katelyn would approach Washington.

" _Ah!"_ He would quickly turn around, after being poked by what felt like a stick being pushed into his butt. Only to see Katelyn drop the stick, and burst into more laughter after seeing Washington slightly jump.

"Karma comes back in you general!" Katelyn would be nearly in tears, laughing at the general would would grab the stick and snap it in half out of anger.

" _Aww, don't be mad little boy. Big Momma will lead you to victory." Katelyns laughter would begin to die down, as she would attempt to stop herself._

" _Just march on Vegas! I've had enough of these childish games of yours."_ Washington would quickly storm off, regrouping with his men and proceed to march them into the city gates into the outer area of Freeside.

It was pretty quiet, with the occasional traveler passing by the rather large group who would stand in awe at the coalition marching into Vegas. After ten minutes of travelling through outer freeside, they would soon come to the entrance of freeside which would have noticeably more people.

As the groups continued to march, people who were yelling for visitors to head into their shops to spend money on vice and other items proceeded to pay attention to the assortment of men coming into Freeside. Everyone from thugs, to shop keepers, to children gathered on the sidewalks to witness the Enclave Troopers, Desert Rangers, and Super Mutants march in cooperation together towards the heart of New Vegas.

" _Eyes straight, keep it tight. Their just in awe of us. Nothing really to worry about."_

Washington would reassure his group, as they would keep watching. They would eventually reach the gate to downtown New Vegas, but would be stopped by a rather bulky robot.

" _Submit to a credit check, before party can be cleared for entry."_ The robot requested, showing a face of a pre-war depiction of a police officer.

" _Credit check? Someone really intelligent is running this place."_ Washington thought, as he lost track of the question previously asked.

" _Submit to a credit check. This is your last warning."_ The robot would restate his request, clearly not going to accept silence for an answer.

" _We're not going to submit to a credit check. We demand to speak to the person in charge here."_ Washington said.

" _If you will not submit to a credit check, then I have no choice but to submit to lethal force."_ The robot would raise its arm, and sounds of loading magazines would be heard coming from the mechanized police bot.

" _It's about to shoot, open fire!"_ Within seconds, the robot would be disintegrated. The remaining three robots would attempt to fight back, also quickly being destroyed by the sheer firepower the Enclave and Super Mutants possessed.

" _All clear, move in!"_ Washington ordered, marching into Downtown through the gates.

Once inside, more police robots after being alerted to the shots would rush to the gate, and proceed to attempt to open fire on the attackers. The robots would quickly be taken down, with them appearing to stand no chance against the superior forces. After the destruction of around twenty robots and no casualties to speak of, one of the robots would approach the group of Enclave Soldiers, Mutants, and Rangers with a face of a new human.

" _Gentlemen, I believe that is quite enough. It's clear you wish to have my attention, so I shall grant it. Will the leader of this group make their way into my inner sanctum?"_

As Washington would ponder what he meant by inner sanctum, he wouldn't have to for much longer as two sliding doors began to retract from what glowed in the dark as the Lucky 38 Casino.

" _Please. Leave your men. I just need the important people."_ The robot would state, not even sounding anywhere near the old police bots.

Washington would proceed to make his way towards the Lucky 38, along with Katelyn, and Marcus as their men would proceed to guard the perimeter.

The three would be lead onto an elevator from a casino level, getting sent to the penthouse suite by escort of one of the robots. As they would reach their floor, the robots would lead them tell them to go down a rather short staircase and turn around until they came across the person they wished to meet with.

As they uncovered the sheets which separated the rooms, a large computer screen was present in front of the trio with the same face as was on the robots face that requested them to come up and would be flanked by two robots of the same make.

" _This meeting has been a while coming, hasn't it? I must ask, you aren't some raiders or tribals and I heavily doubt you're here to gamble your life away. Why is it that you have come to Vegas?"_

The screen shifted between connection lost, and the picture of the man as he talked. Who really was this guy? Why did he rebuild New Vegas and what's his stake in this game? All these questions went through Washingtons mind.

" _We came to claim what America should have."_ Washington stood in front of the monitor, with a confident expression and his hands behind his back.

" _What America should have? You mean what America ceased to have, once it entered that dreadful war. I Robert House, picked up where America ended. I rebuilt New Vegas, after saving it from the nuclear bombs. And now you plan to take this away from me?"_

" _Although I am personally grateful of New Vegas being saved, I wish to give it a real chance at Independence with a long term goal of re-establishing the United States of America."_ Washington would respond back to House, maintaining his diplomatic yet aggressive tone.

" _You want to re-establish the corrupt and greedy United States? You are more foolish then you look. Give me fifty years with New Vegas, and I'll have humanity on the moon. Give you fifty years, and you'll have humanity in the dirt."_

" _I'm done discussing this with you. Here is my demand. You are to turn this city over to me, and in return you may serve in an advisors capacity."_ Washington would reach down to his holster, taking out his plasma pistol.

" _Consider this a hostile takeover, Mr. House. Put up a fight, and we'll drop everyone of your lousy robots to the ground. We just took down twenty without a scratch."_

Mr. House expression on the screen wouldn't change, indicating that the machine was either not programmed with any emotional displays, or this really wasn't phasing him.

In Mr. Houses mind, he was at a crossroads. He couldn't sustain combat against this coalition brought to his door. However, he also did not want to allow them full control of his tower. He had to find a compromise. _"Are you willing to make a deal, sir?"_

Washington would nod, _"Depends on the terms."_

Washington would begin to lower his weapon, as the two would begin to discuss.


	6. Chapter VI: Securing the Empire

_January 20th, 2248_

After the march on New Vegas, Mr. House under threat of annihilation from Washingtons Coalition, signed an agreement to allow for indirect annexation of the Strip. In this agreement, Mr. House will allow New Vegas to become the capital of General Washingtons new empire and pay all appropriate taxes levied on the city by Washington. In return, Mr. House will be allowed to run New Vegas the way he sees fit, serving as the official Mayor of New Vegas and keeping his securitrons under his command for city defense. The agreement was signed and formalized on January sixteenth, twenty-two fourty eight.

After the signing of the agreement, Washington requested for Mr. House to provide a map off all towns and important landmarks in the Mojave to get more of a sense of the territory in his new empire. A securitron would provide the general with a map, and information on the internal workings of New Vegas, after which the general would leave from the tower and head back downstairs. Over the next few days, he proceeded to call meetings with the three families of the strip to inform them of his new governorship of the Mojave and how they will behave in accordance to the rules instated by his regime. The Chairman, Omertas, and White Glove Society all agreed with different levels of enthusiasm. The White Glove society didn't give much reaction at all, with the Chairman merely accepting the new rules and leadership. The Omertas were the only one with concerns, and were quite upset with the new change. However, Washington put his foot down on the Omertas by threatening them to either fall in line or be dismissed from running their casino which shut them up. This action lead to a rather small amount of internal problems that would still need to be dealt with in regards to groups, before he could fully begin the rebuilding process.

With these affairs in order, Washington as agreed upon with the Super Mutants a week earlier had found them a new home. It was a pre-war resort, set in the pre-war settlement of Mount Charleston. It was rather a bit out of the way of the main portions of the Mojave, while also being rather secluded with a lack of a strategic purpose. Marcus was excited when he heard the news from Washington, giving him a rather large smile and enough thank you messages to annoy a grandma. Marcus also pledged to continue supporting Washington and his empire, but also wished to focus on helping his Super Mutants live in as much peace as they could afford. Washington agreed, pledging to send any Super Mutants that wander into the Mojave to the isolated community if possible.

The Desert Rangers, having been promised nothing other than to ensure the Mojave stayed independent were given a new task by their new governor. The Desert Rangers were ordered to head to the towns of Goodsprings, Novac, Primm, Nipton, Searchlight, Boulder City, Freeside, and Westside. Washington had given them orders to establish themselves as the new town sheriffs, under order from their new Mojave government. The towns of Nipton, Freeside, Boulder City, and Goodsprings were easily convinced to join in this new empire and declared their full support. Primm and Searchlight were hesitant. And Westside was completely against the idea. Primm was convinced to join, only after learning that Mr. House on the strip had also joined. Leading the mayor to believe that his town would not be able to compete with a better organized operation under strong leadership, without him being a part of the empire. Searchlight joined, after being told that every other settlement had joined and they would be shut out of all future profit due by staying secluded. The last to join was Westside, who was not at all willing. Westside believed it would be unfairly burdened by taxes of this new empire, and refused to give up their position to serve some governor. They were only brought into the empire, after Washington ordered a squad of Power Armored troopers into the town square and murder the mayor, bringing them in under fear.

With the major towns now under the control of Washington, he had a lot of other concerns he needed to attend to and called a meeting within Hidden Valley between him, Colonel Kreger, Doctor Henry, and Quincy to begin the next phase of Washingtons plan. They were gathered in the same format they were previously, as Washington sat on top of his desk.

 _"The Mojave is now under our empire boys, yet there is much work to be done. We have the Desert Rangers securing towns under our empire to act as sheriffs and show the Mojave that Governor Washington truly cares for the safety of his citizens. The problem here, is we are using contracted employment to do the job we need to be doing ourselves. And on top of that, with less Desert Rangers to patrol the Mojave, the raider gangs are growing that used to not be a real problem. If we allow this to continue, we're going to have some real problems."_ Washington would finish speaking, coughing into his hand before lowering his fist back into his lap.

 _"Well, sir. If we're showing we can provide protection to the people of the Mojave, we're on the right track already. I believe we should continue with a hearts and minds style strategy to win the people of the Mojave to our cause entirely. If they truly believe we can succeed, we'll have a lot less problems for governance."_ Doctor Henry would speak, sitting in his chair rather lazily as if he was bored.

 _"Thank you for your comment Doctor Henry, and I fully agree. Winning hearts and minds needs to be a priority, however so does expanding our manpower. We are going to need an army if we are going to enforce what needs to be enforced in the Mojave, or else we're not going to get far. An army who can assault these raider groups, maintain the peace, and serve a good purpose for the people on top of civil projects will put the Mojave in the palm of my hands."_ Washington would smash a fist into his hand, twisting it to emphasize his point.

 _"I believe we need to try and use this initial boost in popularity and governorship to start recruiting."_ Colonel Kreger would respond, crossing his arms with a smirk across his face.

 _"What do you mean Colonel?"_ Washington would move his hands from his pants, up to the desk and set them on top of it, gripping the lining.

 _"We have the Desert Rangers, a very respectable organization in the Mojave guarding settlements. Something they have never been able to do before we arrived, and I believe we should use the popularity of this action to try and swipe us some recruits from these towns."_

 _"I highly doubt we'll get enough recruits this early on to really turn our problems around, colonel. Maybe like ten or twenty additional bodies to equip with some lower quality armor and weaponry. Do we even have some kind of a course made for training some new recruits?"_ Washington would stare down the colonel, still gripping onto the lining of the desk.

 _"You're right, we may not get a whole lot of recruits. But we're offering stable pay, and a chance to serve their communities. I think that'll draw some attention. We can train them right here in Hidden Valley, on the simulators and such. However, we'll train them in using some old Cowboy Repeaters. Should work out well enough."_ Kreger said with relative confidence, looking to Quincy.

 _"Quincy here has told me we have some Cowboy Repeaters we happened to find our some of our scouting missions from last year. And we can always purchase additional ammo and such from around the Mojave."_ Quincy would look over to the colonel, before looking to the governor.

 _"Yes, sir. The Cowboy Repeaters won't be hard to maintain or stock up. We can issue them out to the recruits, get them acquainted with the weapon in a safe environment, and get them fully trained up. I believe they should also be trained on energy weapons too, at least to try and learn ahead of time in case we ever think of giving them Power Armor and making them troopers."_

Quincy would speak in a rather energetic, yet nerdish tone of voice that was both kinda funny, yet informative to anyone who heard it. So it was no surprise that the governor had a look that appeared to be him considering going through with this idea.

" _Cowboy repeaters, trained at Hidden Valley using our simulators. How exactly do you plan on training them colonel?"_

" _Well, sir. I plan for this to be a four-week course. The first two weeks will be intense physical conditioning to weed out the weak from our new army. These men will also be given class courses on the rank structure, chain of command, and get accustomed to protocol, procedure, and behavior. This will be one of the strictest two week phases, hopefully giving us some decent recruits. Week three will comprise of the soldiers going through combat training in the simulator. This will allow us to see what they already know in combat, and try and fit them into squad positions that suit their skills. The last week will be focusing on hand to hand combat and weapon familiarization. Ensure they know how to use the repeater, practice a little and such. It's very basic for now sir, but that's basic training for you in regards to what we need them to do."_ Kreger would cross one of his legs over the other, crossing his arms to the governor.

Washington would take his hands off from his desk, pacing himself around to the other side of his desk as he would think to himself. _"Post war, basic training. It's nowhere near what an enclave trooper goes through, but we don't need them to have that training. At least not now. I'm liking this colonel. We can use the recruits to guard the settlements, freeing up the Desert Rangers and our power armored troopers to inflict more damage on these tribals raiding caravans. And if things go really well, we can use them to begin implementing my public works projects to improve the Mojave."_

Kreger would smile, standing up from his chair. _"I'll proceed to work on this as soon as possible. Quincy, with me."_ Quincy would stand up from his chair, following the colonel out of the governors office, leaving on Doctor Henry. _"Sir, if I may. An army is great and all, but we really need to start caring about the scientific and health departments. We need an actual functional government. Not one that stays underground, collecting tax from above and calling themselves the governor."_ Doctor Henry would stand up from his chair, expressing his discontent with their current position by taking up a rather worried tone with the governor.

" _I understand your concern Doctor Henry, and as always it is well noted. However, until we get more manpower we cannot begin implementing an official government that can operate topside. This is the best we can do and it's what we'll work with. When we get more flexibility, we'll branch off into the Wasteland with our various departments and hospitals to heal the sick, while advancing humanity. You have my word on that."_

" _For the sake of the people of the Mojave, I sure hope you can keep your word governor. I must get back to the medical lab then. I'm sure the colonel is going to need me to run some kind of blood test or something on these new recruits to ensure they don't have any diseases to infect us all with."_ Doctor Henry would make his way out of the command center, leaving only Washington who by now was sitting in his chair behind his desk. _"For my sake doctor….I hope I can too."_


	7. Chapter VII: Not so Humble Beginnings

_February 20th, 2248_

A whole month went by after Washington ordered the recruitment and training of a new army for his empire. During this time, Washington officially named his new empire the United Settlements of America. The reasoning behind this was to keep the initials USA within their new name, and to officially begin referring to his new state by an official name to rally patriotism. The USA at the moment was small, only encompassing major and minor towns within the Vegas area, but planned to expand out of the towns to various institutions and buildings that could prove valuable for the state to control. It was also during this time that recruitment flyers for the United Settlements Army began to pop up in all the towns under his control, which advertised a new future and a steady pay. A total of forty new recruits had signed up at the small recruitment offices staffed with a representative of Washingtons Enclave now present in every town.

The recruits, male and female, human and ghoul, were given various tests by the recruitment representative. They were checked on their height and weight, given a medical exam to ensure they were healthy, asked a series of personal questions to check their mental state, and given various other questions to get a sense of their reasoning for wishing to join. Many were simply enticed by the offer of a steady pay, while others really wished to protect their communities from raiders and gangs. Whatever the reason, they were all ordered to report to the gates of Hidden Valley on February twentieth of this year to begin their training. They were ordered to show up with a personal bag carrying hygiene items, and a personal weapon.

Outside of Hidden Valley, governor Washington watched from a far the new recruits gathered by the gate. Forty prospecting individuals, signing on the dotted line to serve in the armed forces of his upcoming empire.

As he continued to stare down the recruits from a far as they waited patiently at the gate with various style bags with them, he was approached from his right by the colonel.

" _They look…decent enough."_ Washington would say, not taking his eyes off the group of recruits about to enter this new boot camp the colonel had worked on all month.

" _Passed all the initial tests. There were some rejects, so that at least sets them apart. Do you still want me to go through with this?"_ Kreger turned to the governor, who still didn't take his offs of the recruits as he gave a slight nod of approval.

" _Alright, I'll get my new drill sergeants to bring them in and begin the training." Kreger would leave the side of Washington as he would proceed back into the bunker._

* * *

" _Yo, Emmet. You think this is a good idea and all man?"_ An African American man, wearing a blue shirt and green camouflage pants would turn to another man, wearing a pre-war business suit smoking a cigarette.

The man would be of Caucasian descent, with a hunting rifle slung over his back. His fingers would be filled with dirt, wearing black tennis shoes and would sport a small black mustache that would stretch from both sides of his lip.

As he takes another puff of his cigarette, he would lazily make his eye to the African American male who talked to him.

" _Henderson, don't worry so much. We've been grinding our entire existence out in this dreadful wasteland and ain't getting much favor in return. Now we got some guys offering to give us a steady pay for some honorable work, and you get nervous?"_ A small smirk would form on his face, taking another puff of his cigarette.

" _I don't mean it like that, man. It's just, yes we've been busting our asses day in and day out trying to stay above water, and now we're going to sacrifice the freedom we have to be ordered around like an NCR trooper?"_ Hendersons tone of voice was that of unease and a slight hint of anger.

" _Being an NCR trooper ain't that bad from what I hear. However, I don't feel like going to California just to sign up. This is close, easy money. These guys also seem to have the backing of the Desert Rangers which is highly feared in these parts and made Mr. House capitulate to their rule. I think this is the real deal here."_ A rather obnoxious grunt would be heard by Emmet, as he would turn to see a ghoul wearing a cowboy hat and a caravanner outfit.

" _Um, can we help you?"_ Emmet would look at the ghoul who had his arms crossed, and looked down to the sand.

" _Nah, I just do that when I hear Brahmin shit from someones mouth. Ever done any jet boy?"_ The ghoul would look up to face Emmet, appearing to be chewing on a toothpick that stuck out the side of his mouth.

Emmet continued to stare down the ghoul, thinking of a comeback to the ghoul when Henderson added his own.

" _Ever done a ghoulified slut? Or did the radiation kill your sex drive and you make due by acting like a hardass?"_

The ghoul would chuckle at the comeback, holding out his hand for a shake, but Henderson wouldn't bring himself to shake hands with him and he soon retracted his hand.

" _Don't gotta be rude now. Names Kenny."_ Kenny would continue to bite on the edge of his toothpick, occasionally moving it around his teeth in full view of the men.

" _Well, Kenny. We didn't ask for your name and we don't need anything from you. I have half a mind to-..."_ Henderson would stop, with his voice being replaced by gasps for air.

Emmet would turn his head to see why his friend was gasping, he would see a female in an black enclave officers uniform, with a black campaign hat with the enclave symbol in the middle holding his friend by the neck an inch of the ground.

" _You'll do what? Try and kill him? You're being beat by a woman! You're not tough enough to be making threats!"_ She would release her grip on him, causing him to slight lean over to catch himself from fully falling.

The woman was obviously strong, with some of her muscles showing out from her uniform. She was probably around five, five in terms of height and didn't seem to weigh a high amount. And it was these reasons that surprised the group of forty who stood and watched as she did this.

" _Hello you useless sons of the bitches and welcome to the worst fucking days of your miserable unfulfilling lives! I am Drill Sergeant Gage, of the United Settlements Army. And by extension, the Enclave as a whole! I will be in charge of training you from useless degenerates, to an army that can hold their own in a matter of four weeks. These four weeks will be hard. You will feel the pain necessary to become a soldier, and by the Enclave you shall be placed in the worst of the worst situations. If any of you has a problem with this, you need to quit now!"_ Drill Sergeant Gage was soon approached by a male and female, who attempted to quit right there. Gage merely laughed in there face, and ordered them back into the line.

" _Just kidding! There is no quitting. You've signed our papers, and passed our initial tests. Now comes the true challenges. Throughout this course will address me as Drill Sergeant! You will not say my name! Every response from you will be either yes or no, drill sergeant. Do I make myself clear?!"_

 _In unison, the line would respond as loud as they could, "Yes, Drill Sergeant!"_

Drill Sergeant Gage would proceed to walk through the line, eyeing each recruit as well as their bags as she would sigh. _"Pick up your goddamn bags, and hold them over your head!"_

The recruits would scramble out of fear of the drill sergeant to pick up there bags, and hold them over their heads.

" _What the fuck did I tell you not even five minutes ago! Every response will be a yes or no, drill sergeant! On every order!"_ Drill Sergeant Gage would garner an angry expression as she would go down the line of recruits and hit their bags out of their hands and causes them to fall down on the road or in the sand.

" _Yes, Drill Sergeant!"_ The recruits would all say in unison again, as they would all attempt to pick up their bags again.

" _Oh hell no, you have pissed me off! Can't even follow simply god damn directions! That's fine, if you won't follow directions I will make you owe me your time! Put down your goddamn bags!"_

The recruits who had just managed to get their bags back above their head, dropped them right back on the ground, as they turned to the drill sergeant.

" _When I call platoon attention, you will place your thumbs on the seamline of your pants and ball it into a fist while standing straight and upright. Feet together, looking straight ahead my direction. When I say, front leaning rest position move, you will get into a pushup position. When I say down, you will go down. When I say up, you will come up. Do I make myself clear?" Gage shouted at the top of her lungs, walking up and down the line as she spoke._

" _Yes, Drill Sergeant!"_ All the recruits spoke in unison, even though some of their tones indicated they were nervous.

" _Platoon, attention!"_ The recruits would place their thumbs on the seamline of their pants, balling it into a fist as they would look to the drill sergeant.

" _Front leaning rest position, move!"_ All the recruits would proceed to get down into the pushup position, with some getting down faster than others including Henderson.

" _Fuck no! Position of attention, move!"_ The recruits would stay down on the ground, with some picking up on the order for them to stand up and the rest simply being lost.

" _Stand up! That means stand up you dumbasses!"_ Drill Sergeant Gage would be getting visibly angered at the incompetence of these new "recruits," she had been instructed to train as they would sloppily get up.

" _When I give you the commands to get down and stand up, you will proceed into a leap frog position by placing your hands on the ground, and then kick out your feet while getting down. When you are getting up, you will kick up your feet and stand up into the position of attention! So let's try this again, front leaning rest position, move!"_

They would all acknowledge the drill sergeant, getting down into the pushup position correctly.

"Down!" Drill Sergeant Gage would watch as the recruits lowered themselves down, "Up!"

They would push themselves up as she would instruct them to count each repetition when they would come up. As she would have them doing pushups, she would explain the way they were supposed to count while conducting physical training and standard commands. They would proceed to be smoked for over two hours, until Gage finally gave them a recover order back into the position of attention and would proceed to teach them how to march. She had refused to allow them to pick up their bags, telling them that it is now waste due to them not following instructions and leading them into Hidden Valley.

The recruits would be divided into four ranks of ten, and taught how to stand at attention, parade rest, sand at-ease, and at ease. Once the lesson was over, governor Washington would be brought outside with Oreno and Johnson flanking him as they would look over the recruits who would be standing at parade rest.

"Platoon, attention!" Drill Sergeant Gage would order, as the governor would approach. Oreno and Johnson was wearing a similar uniform to Gage, a long with a Drill Sergeant hat to complement them. As they approached the front of the platoon, the governor began to speak.

" _Soldiers! You are now on the path to become men of the US Army. This is a proud day, one you should have pride in serving in. The path to any journey cannot be made too easy, as it will not have the purpose required to fulfill it. I am Governor Washington, and I shall be your commander in chief if you make it through to the end. I am here to simply say, do your best and work hard. This is a prestigious position and one we do not take lightly. If you do well here, maybe later down the line you can join our Stormtrooper corp. But, that's a way off. Train hard, and do good. Drill sergeants, it's all you."_ Washington would make his way away from the platoon, to Colonel Kreger who would be watching from the door of the bunker.

The Stormtrooper corp was made a subdivision of the US Army, and comprised the original enclave members trained in the usage of power armor to separate the average soldiers in their army from the elite. The corp was designed to pick the brightest, strongest, dedicated, and most talented soldiers from the US Army who could prove useful. They would then be trained in energy weapons more in depth, be trained in power armor usage, and a much longer course to only get the best out of the best. Although these recruits were a ways off, they could still be selected down the line based on their record.

" _You think they're ready for this?"_ Governor Washington would look to Orion and Johnson, who would already be giving the new recruits a smoking session with more pushups.

" _Yes, they're ready. They may have some fun with this, and they're skilled warriors. I'm sure Gage will keep them in line."_ Kreger would smile, watching the smoking session as the governor would nod and head inside.

" _Emmet, what the hell have we got ourselves into?"_ Henderson would proceed to do his pushups, arms tiring out from the excess amount he has done and sweat would drip down the side of his face.

" _Entered the shit, Henderson. Entered the shit..."_ Emmet would sigh, with Drill Sergeant Moreno paying extra attention to Emmet and Henderson due to their unnecessary talking.

* * *

 **Authors Note:**

Gotta say, really enjoying the way the story is progressing. My head is absolutely full of new ideas and such for the story, and I hope that it is enjoyable for you to read. I try to keep my chapters at least around a 2,000 word limit to allow me to provide some detail and ensure I can get some small plot-lines on the side if the main plot needs to slow down a little, so I hope I'm achieving that for you guys. Now, fair warning. I plan to spend the next few chapters detailing these recruits struggles and troubles in going through bootcamp and take the focus away from Washington and Kreger for a while. And maybe introduce a side plot with the Three Families on the strip. These will all come into more detail much later, but believe me when I say a lot of interesting stuff is being planned. Hope you all enjoy the ride!


	8. Chapter VIII: Old Wounds, New Deals

_February 25th, 2248_

 _Life on the strip hadn't really changed much after the annexation of Vegas by Washingtons Enclave. Mr. House, although a bit disappointed that humanity would not be rebuilt in an image he envisioned over a century ago, he now began working to find a place in Washingtons new "USA." Mr. House knew that if he was to stay mayor of New Vegas, he would need to prove himself to Washington in order to ensure his continued survival. Since the new agreement was negotiated with Washington, Mr. House has been very free to coordinate matters on the strip without any input from his new superiors. He could build things, invest in things, and run Vegas in the way he wished and for now he was content with doing that. He only needed to ensure that the Enclave was getting their fair share of profits from the casinos, which was picked up by an enclave courier who usually was a desert ranger. As Mr. House ruled over New Vegas, he knew that the enclave would be very busy in training a new army to staff settlements and if the enclave were busy it would be hard to deal with any emerging threats the Mojave still had to deal with._

 _The Great Khans, a rather large drug dealing gang operated with little intervention across the Mojave. Although the enclave stopped the Super Mutant attacks and destroyed much of the small raider groups with the desert rangers, the Khans were left rather untouched. The Omertas were angry with this, knowing that if they were to become a true player in this new nation they would want to control the drug supply which now the Khans had a monopoly over. The Chairman were not against taking them out either, knowing that if the Khans continued to grow in strength by their profits they could later become a problem for the Chairman in other settlements they wished to set up operations in. The White Gloves were the most neutral, simply wishing to continue in their pacifist ways of existence after being civilized by Mr. House. It was these concerns and Mr. Houses ambition that lead to him calling the leadership of the Three Families to a private room in the recently obtained Vault 21._

 _The Omertas, were represented by their leader Nero who rarely liked to venture away from his casino, and was known to be a hot-head to Mr. House. His family were known for treachery, and all sorts of sinful activities which was part of the reason House made them a part of his administration within the city. The next group The Chairman, were represented by their leader Benny. The Chairman were by far the most honorable criminal group within Vegas, with loyalty to a superior being a core value. Benny was known for his cool and slick style of speaking and dressing, but would not tolerate insubordination to his orders and was rather ruthless in carrying out his orders when the time called for it. The last group, the White Glove Society was represented by their leader Marjorie. Marjorie was like the others the leader of her group, but was fully against the use of violence to achieve any goals. This sentiment was shared by the White Glove Society, and if they didn't bring the décor and splendor to the strip would never have become a ruling group in the three families._

 _As the three sat down on the chairs provided for them within the vault, Mr. House soon appeared on a Vault-Tec screen._

 _"Alright boys, and girls. We have some important issues to discuss concerning a severe liability for our fine city."_

Nero yawned to himself, while Benny straightened his suit. Marjorie was the only person in the room who seemed to have an interest in the conversation, as she sat on the edge of her seat staring directly into the screen as if expecting a new revelation to be unveiled.

" _I'm sure everyone here is aware of a vile and filthy little group known as the Great Khans. Does anyone disagree?"_

This caught the attention of Benny and Nero, who like Marjorie began to stare directly into the screen. Nero looked in relative anger at the mention of "Great Khans." Their drug empire they have built up around the Mojave was impressive and that made Nero angry that his group didn't control such an impressive feat. Benny merely began stroking his chin, thinking of the endless problems the Khans presented to their organization.

"Those jet pushing profit stealing junkies? How could I not know of them?" Nero crossed his arms, as he shook his head in disgust.

" _Yes, I am aware they may be causing you some…economical pain. Yet, I have a solution to benefit all here."_

Mr. House knew by his statement that he had them in the palm of his hands. Nero and Benny were simply waiting to hear whatever plan their boss had for them. Marjorie was still interested in the conversation by her expression, however became visibly less interested possibly due to a lack of a benefit for her group in this little endeavor. But knew she needed to keep up appearances, like her group had been doing since it was founded.

" _Governor Washington, is currently working on assignments unrelated to the Khans. And since the Desert Rangers now take their orders from our governor, there is little authority keeping pressure on these Khans. That's where you all come in."_

A small grin smirked upon Nero's face. Although he had never met the governor himself, he was happy to see that he was distracted by something that would hopefully keep him off Nero's back for a while.

" _You want us to whack their leader?"_ Nero inquired.

" _No, no. He wants to go to war with the Khans. Much smarter, more devastating."_ Benny added after Nero.

Marjorie merely sighed, _"Whatever it is. I don't want to be a part of it. Although the Khans should be dealt with, I don't want to involve my side into any aggressive action."_

Mr. House, was unphased by Marjorie's pacifist attitude. In fact, the only reason her group was invited was to keep the White Gloves in the loop of strip operations to show they were valued. Nothing more.

" _I appreciate your comments Miss Marjorie, but at least I need to know that you will support us in areas not related to aggression. As for you Nero and Benny, both of you are right. I wish to launch a war on the Great Khans and I need you two to make it happen. I want their leadership killed, their morale broken, and their empire captured. Do this, and you can enjoy the spoils of whatever you find during the campaign. I don't care how you get this done, but get it done. Dismissed."_

Marjorie was the first to get up as she straightened her dress. _"Gentlemen, it's been a nice meeting. Have a wonderful rest of your day."_ After Marjorie left and House shut off his connection to the vault monitors, Nero and Benny soon began discussing a plan of action between the Chairman and Omertas on how to destroy the Great Khans. Their discussion was last for a few hours before they would finally leave Vault 21, heading to their respective casinos.

* * *

 _Shady Sands; Court House Building_

Shady Sands was the capital of the New California Republic, and in addition to housing the government offices and buildings, also housed a pretty sizeable military presence. Shady Sands had an organized town police force that was widely seen around the city, but on top of this force was squads upon squads of NCR Troopers and NCR Rangers who could be seen all around the city. On paper, only a few battalions were stationed in the capital, but it always felt to the average citizen that there was more than just a few battalions as they walked the streets. President Tandi, the second President of the New California Republic and the longest serving had recently died in the month of January from illness. After her death, Vice President Joanna Tibbett became President of the New California Republic and vowed to continue with Pro-Tandi policies. These programs included massive infrastructure development projects, a focus on scientific development, and to the best of her attempts anti-cartel regulations which limit the acreage and Brahmin heads one man could control.

President Tibbett, was a seventy-one-year-old woman who had been serving Tandi for over thirty years before she died. Tibbett may not be Tandi, but she was well respected across the republic and even inside the NCR Congress. This enabled her to continue to push for the legacy of Tandi with much success, as long as other large monopolies didn't attempt to try and remove certain regulations which for now they hadn't. Tibbett however, took her mind off the state of the republic and focused on her surroundings. She was in the main court house building of the republic, attending a trial of a man accused of having ties to the Enclave. Tibbett made it a point to attend any and every trial ever since she Vice President to hear what this group had to say for their crimes and if they were worth attempting to reason with. Although not a lot of trials for Enclave members took place due to the lack of finding members, but when they were found the trials were always broadcasted around the republic. As she sat in one of the courtroom benches, a rather young man wearing a long black robe with a white collar approached the bench and took a seat.

The man looked no older than thirty-five, was Caucasian, and wore glasses. Tibbett knew this man, due to the fact she had sat in many of these Enclave trials and witnessed him being the person overseeing the trial. His name was Judge James Dredd. A tough on crime, incorruptible, unforgiving, and ambitious man who used his authority on the bench to show his unemotional sway to anyone who dared step into his path. Tibbett knew this well. The man brought fear to lawbreakers who came before him, and respect from law enforcers who had to place their criminals in front of him. As Tibbett began to wonder into thought over his practices, a Shady Sands Police Officer began to walk into the chamber and took post near the judges bench.

" _Bailiff, is the defendant ready?"_

The bailiff nodded to the judge, who quickly ran his eyes across the courtroom for attendance. It was a full house, with an occupancy rate of one hundred as it always was during trials concerning Enclave members. An additional bailiff stood by the door of the court room, armed with his gauss rifle.

" _Bring fourth, the defendant!"_ The doors to the courtroom would be opened by the other bailiff, as a man dressed in a brown hooded cloak with his hands handcuffed in front of him made his way forward to the bench, escorted by another police officer. He would be placed in front of the bench, passing by the two individual tables seated just a few feet away as he proceeded to look up at the judge.

" _For crimes committed against the New California Republic, and crimes committed against humanity, how do you plead Mr-…"_

" _Reece….my name is Reece. And I plead guilty. You savages don't deserve to draw breath on my fine earth…"_

Reece stared at the judge, who merely shrugged his comment off and continued.

" _Mr. Reece, you have entered in a plea of guilty. And you shall be judged accordingly. By the laws of the New California Republic and the authority said republic has invested within me to enforce, I shall move onto the sentencing portion of this trial."_

Reece would shake his head, and spit at the very bench Judge Dredd happened to be seated at which made the observers of the trial gasp except for President Tibbett who merely sat in disgust of the man.

" _Mr. Reece, you are henceforth sentenced to death by hanging. Sentenced is to be carried out in two weeks time. I hope when you're choking and gasping on that last breath of yours Mr. Reece, that the last thought that comes from your twisted mind is me laughing as I spit on your grave. Officer, take this psycho out of my courtroom. And the court is hereby dismissed."_

Mr. Reece would be lead out of the courtroom, as Judge Dredd would bang his gavel to officially end the court proceedings. As the court would begin to clear out, Tibbett merely stayed seated as Judge Dredd would make his way over to her.

" _Very kind choice of words Judge."_

Dredd would merely smile and give a small nod to the president.

" _All just part of my job, Madame President. These genocidal maniacs need to see nothing but a strong hand from our republic after what they attempted to do. And I have no problem doing that in some of the harshest sentences permissible under current republic law."_

" _Current republic law…right."_ Tibbett had long known that officially the death penalty was allowed to be issued by the court system, but knew it was rare to see it issued. That was until Judge Dredd came to the bench in Shady Sands, and began dishing it out every time an enclave supporter or member came before him. She had thought about changing it, but knew it would only cause Dredd to seek new means of punishment that may be far worse. Dredd in Tibbetts eyes was an honorable man in his dealings with the law, but knew for criminals he would most likely get enjoyment seeing them burned alive if such was allowed.

" _Of course, I'm a man of the law and always will be. From the day I began sitting on this bench, till the day I leave this bench I will enforce it in the best way I see fit. Now Madame President, is you'll excuse me I have some business to attend to outside of court."_

As Tibbett sat alone in the empty courtroom after Dredd departed, she was approached by a familiar figure with a brush gun slid upon his back.

" _President Tibbett, are you ready to depart?"_

" _Yes, I am."_ Tibbett pushed herself up from her seat and turned to the figure.

The man was dressed like an NCR Ranger, and sported a small moustache across his upper lip. He was average height, and from what Tibbett could tell from his tone was a little happier today then he had been since Tandi had died. Having served as a personal bodyguard for Tandi and knew her personally, he was rather distraught to learn of her death. He was reassigned to Tibbetts detail not long after, and takes his assignment very seriously.

" _Windell. You seem happy today, what's up?"_

Windell would shrug as they would make their way outside from the courthouse. _"Nothing. Just enjoy seeing justice served."_

Tibbett sighed, knowing he was referring to the trial she had just witnessed. Although the NCR may find comfort in the hanging of an enclave member, she personally did not take pleasure in hearing death sentences being imposed on anyone.

" _I'm glad you're happy. But I have something to ask you. Do you think Judge Dredd is right by what he is doing?"_

As they walked through the streets of Shady Sands, Windell began to process what the president was saying to him before responding.

" _I believe he is doing us a favor. I'm a ranger Madame President, so I've seen a lot of evil in the wasteland. And believe me when I tell you, it's nice to see some good come to those who spread evil."_

" _I see. Thank you Windell."_

Tibbett was not surprised about the response, knowing a lot of citizens of the NCR held a similar opinion. Although it felt wrong inside, maybe there may be some good that may come of it. These thoughts began to wrestle in Tibbetts mind as they walked back to her office, only for her to shake her head. As Tibbett arrived back at her office and closed the door, she sat at her desk to continue her line of thought. _"Maybe…if used for the benefit of many…evil can be good…maybe…"_ Tibbett said to herself, trying to find some comfort and reason to bottle up her emotions for the death penalty in the NCR.

" _Just maybe….maybe…."_


	9. Chapter IX: Something, Something,

_March 2nd, 2248_

" _I don't know what I've been told! The Mojave Wasteland is too damn cold!"_ In the early morning hours of the day, Drill Sergeant Gage along with Moreno and Johnson were engaging in a platoon run around Hidden Valley . The recruits were dressed in a white T-Shirt, along with brown pants and a light brown jacket with the Enclave symbol imprinted on their right chest area of the jacket with casual black tennis shoes.

They were running the length of the perimeter of Hidden Valley in laps along the perimeter fence, with Drill Sergeant Gage running alongside the platoon in the center, yelling out cadences for the recruits to repeat. Over the past ten days, the recruits had been introduced to a physical training schedule of waking up at five in the morning and getting outside in no more than thirty minutes with all their personal hygiene completed for inspection and exercise.

The exercises were straining, and the recruits usually got various pains from the amount and frequency in which they conducted their exercises. A few recruits begged their drill sergeants to allow them to quit, but this only made the drill sergeants give them extra unwanted attention and more physical training.

They alternated days for running and strength, allowing even muscle development across the platoon with respect to outside limitations on personal situations. After doing their workouts they would wash up, and prepare for classes about rank structure, courtesies, base operations, and general military knowledge about tactics, radio procedures, etc.

Once these classes were completed, additional physical training along with random inspections of the barracks, team building exercise, and such were done with appropriate breaks scheduled for meals and this was usually how they days went.

" _Keep up Emmet, I don't want to you to get put on dishwasher duty tonight for not keeping up."_

Henderson stood beside Emmet, who he could see was visibly sweating despite the weather being rather cold and the wind that howled past their ears as they did their laps.

" _Emmet, common you can't be that out of shape can you? This was your grand idea, and you may not even see it through."_

As Emmet continued his struggle to maintain his pace with the rest of the platoon, he began to slow down and other recruits began to pass him by to keep up.

" _Go-...on, without me."_ Emmet pressed one of his hands against the side of his body, as he began to slow his run to a walk and completely fell out of formation.

" _Fucking Emmet. Needs to learn to keep up with the program."_ Henderson shook his head in disgust, as he maintained his pace with the rest of the platoon.

As Emmet was walking, he was soon pushed to the ground by an unknown force that seemed to be pushing him into the sand as he desperately tried to escape with zero success.

" _Look at this little sand crawler. If I didn't know any better, I'd think he'd have just invented sand swimming. Are you a swimmer Private Emmet!"_

Emmet knew exactly who was holding him down now, and stopped his struggle. He breathed in and out heavily, as he attempted to turn his head onto the side to get a side view of the man.

" _I asked you a question you hunk of Brahmin shit! Or is your hearing as bad as your motivation for running?!"_

Drill Sergeant Moreno stood over Emmet, holding him down onto the sand by his right foot with his arms crossed. He had a smirk on his face, looking at the private below him.

" _No, Drill Sergeant!"_

Emmet sounded off as loud as his lungs would allow, with him taking large breaths in and out to try and slow his heart rate which proved difficult.

" _Oh, so you can hear me. And just decided I was not important enough to give a proper response earlier, is that it?!"_

Emmet shook his head in a no like fashion, kicking up some sand onto the ground into his nose and mouth as Moreno pushed his head down into the sand.

" _Since you don't feel like I'm important enough to speak to, maybe I don't feel you're important enough to be treated like a damn human being! Eat the fucking sand private!"_

Emmet knew Drill Sergeant Moreno may not be the Senior Drill Sergeant for his platoon, but he had a reputation as being the cruellest and even surpassed Drill Sergeant Gage in his punishments. Emmet remembered the day another private had tried to sneak some food back into the barracks to eat once everyone had gone to sleep. As he was eating it, he was caught by Drill Sergeant Moreno.

The private tried to explain, but had nothing to say to the drill sergeant who was wailing into him verbally and even physically. Eventually, Moreno had taken the food he had snuck into the barracks and poured it into one of the toilets. Moreno then proceeded to smoke the private for three hours, After he got smoked, he was assigned to bathroom duty for the entire platoon for four days, and then was also assigned to kitchen cleanup duties where it was reported Moreno had made him lick an entire plate clean with his tongue, and then run it under water.

These stories made Moreno one of the scariest drill sergeants, and scared the hell out of Emmet.

" _Yes, Drill Sergeant!"_

Though muffled, Emmet sounded off to the Drill Sergeant and proceeded to lick and attempt to eat the sand. As he did this, Moreno took his foot off Emmet and watched him try and eat the sand and choke on every bite.

" _That's right. You want to walk while everyone else does the work! You'll eat the sand beneath those feet of yours each time I see you walking!"_

Moreno continued to tear into Emmet, who would cough out onto the ground the sand that he attempted to swallow. By most accounts, this would equate to torture, but in the United Settlements Military they took the philosophy that even torture in limited cases can be beneficial in enhancing toughness and motivation.

After what felt like an eternity to Emmet, but was only five minutes of attempting to complete the grueling task, Moreno ordered Emmet back into formation which by now had finished their run and were doing their recovery after-exercise drills.

" _Man, what the hell happened to you?"_

Emmet proceeded to get onto the ground and engage in the exercises, as Emmet exercised and looked at the state of Emmets face.

He had sand all around his mouth and nose in various places, and it seemed like in small spots blood was dripping out onto some of the sand causing it to turn a darkish red. Emmet also occasionally coughed up some sand that he attempted to follow and sneezed sand from his nose.

" _I don't really want to talk about it Henderson."_

Rather than press him, Henderson continued on focusing on his exercises as a tear came down the side of Emmets face as he exercised.

* * *

 _Bitter Springs_

 _Bitter Springs was known in the Mojave as the headquarters of the Great Khans, drug-dealing group of raiders who harassed caravans, towns, and camps. They were the last raider gang in the Mojave after Washingtons Enclave destroyed or severely diminished the rest. They were a rather small group, not having any real organized leadership since the death of their past leader Darion in California and leaving only remnants around. These were some of the remnants, that decided to come into the Mojave. This set of the Khans seemed to have knowledge of drug production, and made a rather decent living by selling to various other raider groups that used to inhabit the Mojave._

 _It was for this reason, that Mr. House decided to permanently rid this group from the Mojave. Nero and Benny knew the Khans were stationed at Bitter Springs, in a small makeshift community that housed no more than fifty people yet were influential in the drug market that House wanted to control after their customers had all been routed out._

 _Nero stood only a few miles from the camp, as one of his lieutenants came up to speak with him._

 _"Boss, our information is correct. The Khans operate from Bitter Springs, and it's also where they make the drugs."_

Nero nodded, and took his assault carbine from his back and smiled.

" _Well Benny boy, are you ready to claim a win for the empire?"_

Nero turned to Benny who was smoking a cigarette right next to him. Benny proceeded to take the cigarette out of his mouth and throw it onto the ground, stomping it out.

" _First of all, cat, don't call me boy. Second, we both know what you're after. So, cut the chit-chat and let us get dealing."_

Nero was angered by his remark, but by orders of Mr. House needed to work with him. The Three Families never really got along, and were only kept in check by Mr. House who kept the order. So, although Nero wanted to take Bennys eyes out, he simply was not allowed and he hated it.

" _Just get your shit together and let us move."_

Nero proceeded to leave Bennys side, rallying his contingent of twenty men he had recruited for this little excursion of theirs as Benny rallied his men and they marched on Bitter Springs.

* * *

 _Authors Note_

 _ **Not really happy about this chapter and it is no fault to any of you for why I hate it, rather something I overlooked a long time ago that is too late to fix. Basically, I planned a story-arc about the Three Families war with the Great Khans that I had set up in a previous chapter, only to find out that the Great Khans didn't emigrate in mass to the Mojave until 2267. This realization basically derailed my entire storyline I had planned, and why the Bitter Springs story had to be dumbed down and lack the detail I wished to include for that arc as it's not going along the story arc of the main games I'm trying to use to serve as a guide for future events and such, with exceptions in certain places.**_

 _ **So, because of my own personal error I am not happy with this chapter as it contains a story arc I no longer will be updating and will have to come up with a cheap victory I originally planned to be a lot more meaningful then what I will write out for it in the next few days or so. Now if you haven't figured it out yet, we're trying to keep the story moving in a certain direction with the time and dates, yet building a nation takes time and there is a lot of factors I need to cover before I can get onto the chapters focusing on later conflicts of managing a growing empire and such and hence why I am filling up some spaces in the timeline with side-stories that will have much more meaning later and why making this error in the Great Khans makes me kinda salty that I wasted energy on a story-arc I cannot continue in good conscience.**_

 _ **However, it's time for a new direction. There is sooo much stuff I plan for this story, so this is actually really tiny yet takes out suspense in my opinion. But there is hope! I have a new story-arc that will follow along with the Henderson Arc to make up. Right now, I have a few storyline arcs that were introduced and ones that will be expanded on throughout the story in other chapters at other times. A small summary of them are here along with their main focus that have high or low importance to the story as a whole, as well as main characters for that arc:**_

 _ **Washington Arc**_ – _ **Building the Empire. (Major Story-Arc.) (Washington, Kreger)**_

 _ **Emmet Arc**_ – _ **Diaries of an Army Soldier. (Major Story-Arc) (Henderson, Emmet, Kenny)**_

 _ **Tibbett Arc – NCR Internal/Foreign Policy. (Major Story-Arc) (Tibbett, Dredd)**_

 _ **House Arc – Internal Management Policy. (Semi-Major Arc) (Mr. House, Marjorie, Nero, Benny)**_

 **This list is going to expand, but every arc I introduce will have something to do with a theme relating to the ultimate goal of restoring America. So, that's my goal. I'll see you all next chapter!**


	10. Chapter X: Another Day, Another Casualty

_March 11th, 2248_

Another day in the Hidden Valley bunkers, meant another day of Enclave expansion into the Mojave. At least, this is the thought that went through Washington's head every morning.

In the early hours of the new day, Washington was awakened by his alarm clock, as he lazily proceeded to turn it off and sit up from his bunk.

A green wool blanket was draped over his body, falling to his legs when he sat his upper body up from his pillow. He wore a white t-shirt, with black nylon shorts as his nightly pajamas and would occasionally be seen wondering the lower levels with only these items with the addition of some shoes and socks.

Washington shifted his legs over to the floor, rubbing his eyes with his palms as he shook his head in a rapid motion before standing completely up from the bunk and stretches out his arms while letting out a yawn.

His personal room within the bunker was not much different from other rooms, other than it contained a single bunk and some basic living utilities such as a sink, mirror, table, and bookshelf. There was also a small stack of crates for storing personal items, but not much else. He never complained about his space, with his years of military experience promoting the idea that not everything will be pretty at the beginning, but manageable.

Approaching the mirror, he would rub his chin with the tips of his fingers as he would pick up a razor laying on the sink and proceed to shave with soap, lacking proper shaving cream.

After six minutes within his room, he would come out fully dressed in his enclave officer uniform and head out to his office.

The walk was only around a minute, and as he reached his office he was greeted by a Stormtrooper that stood near his desk awaiting him to come in. Seeing the general enter, he would approach and keep a slight distance as to not project his rather menacing appearance within his power armor onto the general.

" _Sir, there has been a disturbance in medical. Doctor Schreber and Doctor Henry seem to have had a-…disagreement."_

As soon as the trooper mentioned Schreber and Henry, Washington already had an idea of what had happened. The rivalry between the two was well known around Camp Navarro when they were stationed there, and hadn't died down since.

Washington remembered it clearly. The arguments he would overhear when passing by the silence labs, the stories Colonel Kreger would tell Washington about them, and even base incidents that lead to the two being isolated in other areas of the base to work away from each other that proved futile. It was only a matter of time before a true altercation happened, and it appeared Washington had the misfortune of dealing with it.

Washington sighed, looking at the trooper, _"Trooper, where did this altercation take place?"_

" _The medical bay, sir. There are some other troopers already there, and we're merely filing a report at this stage."_

Washington after being told the location would begin to make his way upstairs to the first floor of the bunker. On his way, he passed the first batch of recruits for the new army who called themselves to attention and gave the morning greetings to their commander who then made them carry on with their morning physical training.

As Washington reached the medical bay, it was guarded by a Stormtrooper right by the door. Seeing the general approach, he immediately stepped aside from the doorway to allow him to enter.

The room was a mess, to say the least. Test tubes scattered across the metal floors, with empty syringes also littering the ground. To the right of Washington stood a medical cabinet that housed Med-X, and other drugs useful for surgical operations and healing operations whose glass was shattered. Doctor Schreber was in the room, rubbing the back of his head that seemed to have a little blood running down from it, and Doctor Henry seemed to be angry as he tried to calmly talk to an enclave trooper about the incident.

" _Doctor Schreber and Doctor Henry, front and center now!"_ Washington yelled at the top of his lungs, startling even the Stormtroopers who were gathering information for an incident report. They both wasted little time getting to the general, and stood less than a few feet away from him with rather nervous facial expressions.

" _Will one of you, please tell me what transpired here?"_ Washington calmly spoke, as the Stormtrooper who was originally questioning the two stood near the general.

" _Doctor Schreber has been going on about his research being lost from Navarro on Deathclaws and such, and I didn't wish to hear it. I told him to shut up about the research and that we must move on, but he got mad and claimed it was more important than any project I put my tiny brain to. I shoved him, he shoved me back, and I threw a punch and yea-….the room looks like shit."_

Schreber would roll his eyes, and earn an unfriendly glare from Washington.

" _Sir, Doctor Henry is mistaking his feelings, for facts. Something a man in his position should not be doing. I believe he should be removed from being the leader of the medical department and be placed under someone more,"_ A pause would come from Schreber as he turns to Henry and gives him a grin before answering, _"Competent…"_

" _Oh, so now I'm incompetent? Want me to shove this stethoscope up your ass? I'm sure I'm qualified to check your prostate."_ Doctor Henry's cheeks would show redness, as Doctor Schreber would obviously be getting to him.

" _Both of you, shut up. God, you're acting the same as what I hear about how Johnson and Moreno act. And you all except for Schreber; come from the same squad."_

The both of them would go quiet, refusing to look at each other and the Stormtrooper would begin to speak.

" _Sir, what do you want us to do here. We're finishing our initial investigation, with me just needing to type up the report."_

Ah yes, the incident report. An old Enclave system inherited into Washingtons Enclave, that focused on ensuring that incidents relating to members in the service of the enclave were logged and catalogued for the future, and also ensured that such members would receive appropriate punishments for violations of the rules and regulations set forth within the protocols and procedures of Washingtons Enclave.

Incident reports were negative to have on your record, but for officers it didn't hold much of a threat. However, what it could do is lead to extra tasking for an officer in a specific department or even temporary suspensions from heading into your assigned job within the enclave which would lead you with little other options on how to spend your time.

" _No, don't write up the report trooper. I have another idea."_

The trooper would nod to the general, and depart with the other trooper to conduct duties elsewhere within the bunker. Schreber and Henry would still remain divided, refusing to even glance at each other.

" _You two, clean up this mess in this medical lab at once. And when that's done, I want you both to cool off away from the medical bay. Destress, ignore any feelings of ill-will towards each other and be ready to work tomorrow. These incidents are ridiculous, and it saddens me I had to come down here to control my scientists who should be leading the way of our new Enclave. I am more disappointed than angry, but all the same you two need to get it together. If this happens again and you two won't get along, I have other assignments for you."_

" _Yes, sir."_ Both doctors would acknowledge the general, with them later heading back into the lab to proceed to clean it up. As they head back in, Washington would spot a passing trooper and usher the trooper to himself.

" _Trooper, watch these two as they clean. If they fight each other, report it to me directly. I'll be back in my office."_

The trooper would acknowledge the general, and Washington would leave from the location and head back downstairs to his command office. Upon arriving, he would take a sit in his chair and see Colonel Kreger approaching the desk from another hallway.

" _Ah, Colonel. Just the guy I wanted to see, great timing."_ Washington smiled for the first time today. Whenever he saw the Colonel, he would always feel as if everything was going to be ok. After the Colonel saved him from that Brotherhood Paladin, and ensured they all arrived at Hidden Valley, seeing him up and ready to continue working under Washingtons leadership was an honor despite him originally being a higher rank them him back in the Enclave.

" _Thank you, sir. I recently heard about the scuffle in the medical bay. Take care of it?"_

The colonel had reached the desk, standing in front of the now seated general as he placed his hands behind his back.

" _Yea, just some issues with the doctors that lead to the altercation. I dealt with it for now, as we can't be having that kind of hostility within our internal ranks. We are on a very high priority long-term project, and we need to ensure that we have no internal distractions."_

The colonel fully agreed with the general, merely nodding in acceptance of his actions. However, he had something on his mind that morning that needed to be brought up to the general.

" _Sir, if you don't mind me asking. But, we need to talk about the Mojave. We've been in power almost two months, and haven't done much in terms of building a nation."_

Washington looked up to the colonel, carefully analyzing his words within his mind. He was right. Ever since Washingtons Enclave arrived in the Mojave, all they managed to do was eradicate raider bands and bring a truce between the Super Mutants and towns. Even though he was in control of settlements within the Mojave, actually imposing official taxes, setting up some leaders council, or rebuilding the Mojave's economic infrastructure was not yet implemented and hadn't been given much discussion as of late.

On top of this, after the training of the first recruits were complete, the enclave only had a limited number of non-commissioned officers to assign to the newly created units. And such units would need additional training that can only be given on a squad level and won't be mission capable for a few more weeks. Most of the empire was mostly ran in combination of city mayors who maintained order with the Enclave Affiliated Desert Rangers and not overseen by any Enclave personnel. Overall, his empire was too federated into small autonomous regions at the moment to really be an effective governing force and the only interaction he had with his empire was the transfer of credits to the Enclave from the settlements every now and then.

" _I know exactly what you mean, colonel. Our numbers are small as you know, and the Mojave is a huge place. However, we do need to begin transitioning the enclave into a more centralized command structure and start streamlining some processes that we haven't attempted to assume full control over yet. Baby steps, colonel. Nations do not pop up overnight. We have to start somewhere, and I believe training a functional army to enforce our regulations and right to rule is the first start to this."_

Kreger would shrug to himself. He was in no way a politician, nor schooled on the aspects of nation building. But he was good when it came to military tactics and leadership, along with advising on possible threats and interesting locations of advancement which made him a rather useful leader in Washingtons Enclave.

" _Well, we may need to come up with some plans for the future now. I don't mean to wish any ill-fortune on you, sir. But, it's the Wasteland. If you die, we need someone to lead us. We need protocols for this. Protocols for the organization as a whole. The Brotherhood has traditions that seem to keep them alive, and we need our own as our own Enclave."_

Washington reached down to a drawer within his desk, pulling it out as he took out a piece of paper and a pencil as he placed it on his table.

" _Well, let's start writing these down and see what we can work with."_ Washington smiled, as he and Kreger would begin to discuss new regulations for the Enclave.

* * *

 _Hidden Valley_

In another room in the lower levels of the bunker, the recruits of Drill Sergeant Gage were preparing to administer their final tests of combat training. All of the recruits were lined up in a single file line and divided into squads of four, leading to the creation of ten squads and organized by phonetic alphabet starting from Alpha. Emmet, Henderson, and Kenny had been assigned to Golf Squad, being the seventh squad to go into the simulator.

All this week, they had been taught military movement procedures within the confines of Hidden Valley with both low and high visibility with Hidden Valleys own defense systems to aid in the training. They were taught about communications, basic medical, and even tactical withdrawals and tactics to prepare them for the simulation in which they were about to endure.

Drill Sergeant Moreno walked back and forth down the hallway past the recruits and observed their reactions going into this portion of the training. Judging from the expressions of the recruits, some were overly excited to get a taste of combat and some who were rather nervous.

" _You maggots ain't got shit to worry about. I know some of you miss the warm feeling of being inside your mother's warm womb when she gave birth your sorry asses, but once you popped out of that pussy you became a target to any raider, or a random Vault 13 jumpsuit wearing motherfucker who feels the need to blow up your home base! Regardless of the situation, you will be prepared to respond! Do I make myself clear?!"_

" _Yes, Drill Sergeant!"_ The recruits said in unison, perfecting the sounding off technique that had been drilled into them over the weeks they have been at basic training.

Emmet had done much better. Despite the constant attention from Moreno that was rather degrading, he found himself doing better at PT sessions and even kept up with Henderson on their runs. Henderson himself was impressed and continued to encourage Emmet to push himself to be the best. Although this whole thing was Emmet's idea, Henderson seemed to be adapting to it much faster than he was.

Kenny on the other hand, seemed to breeze through the program. His stamina lead him to being in the front of all the platoon runs, and allowed him to be super agile during the movement trainings. The only thing he lacked was his physical strength, but always gave his best effort and most of the time stayed in league with the rest of his platoon. Kenny and Emmet had never really seen eye to eye, with Henderson having to broker agreements between the two a few times just to maintain peace, but nonetheless they managed to work together when the time called for it.

Since the week started and they were placed into squads, they were joined by a Hispanic female known as Santina. Santina wore brown hair in a buzzcut fashion, with eyes that would intimidate a Stormtrooper if they looked directly into them. Even the Drill Sergeants seemed to ignore eye contact with her, but still gave her shit whenever they could. Being the only female in Golf squad, she set her mind from the beginning to attempt to outdo all the males within her squad and show that she was not to be trifled with. She engaged in conversation with Henderson, and they seemed to be on decent terms, but Emmet and Kenny seemed to only get ice-cold glares from her and when she did talk she was berating the two. Overall, an interesting addition.

" _Golf Squad, get your ass into the pods. It's time for your first test."_ Drill Sergeant Gage yelled out from the room, and disappeared back into it.

" _Moving, Drill Sergeant!"_ All in unison.

As they entered the room, the virtual reality pods were scattered throughout the room. There was a total of six, and Gage had ordered the squad to position themselves individually by a pod and proceed into the chair.

After following these instructions, the pods would close and they would be transported into a room filled with various sorts of pre-war weaponry. Missile Launchers, R91 Assault Rifles, Sniper Rifles, Combat Shotguns, and 10mm Pistols. Drill Sergeant Gage stood in front of them within the room, along with Drill Sergeant Johnson who had a smirk on his face.

" _Welcome to hell, boys. Today you're going to get a taste of pre-war warfare, that was much more bloody and intense than any of the crap you'll face in the Wasteland. Your tasks will be simple, as this test will be in three parts. The first will be a small skirmish in an open area, during the day. The second an urban area fight, with tons of obstructions and tight spaces. The last will be a dense forest, at night, with limited visibility. Your task will be to navigate these simulations successfully, without the squad being destroyed by the enemy and neutralize the areas of all hostiles. Is that understood?!"_

" _Yes, Drill Sergeant!"_

" _Then get your shit, and press the button on that intercom when you're ready. You'll need a team leader for this, and remember to work together. Make sure to take a radio, and a full set of combat armor."_ Drill Sergeant Gage and Johnson would disappear, and the team would begin to equip themselves with the weapons presented in front of them.

Emmet would grab a R91 Assault Rifle, and a 10mm pistol. As he would watch the rest of Golf, he would notice the loadouts in which they got. Kenny grabbed him a R91 and 10mm pistol as well, with Henderson taking him a Combat Shotgun and a 10mm pistol. Santina took her a sniper rifle only, leading to some suspicion from Emmet who quickly looked down as Santina gave him one of her ice-cold stares of death.

" _Alright, we need a team leader. I nominate Emmet."_ Emmet didn't expect to have received a nomination for leader from Henderson, but was happy for the gesture.

" _Hell, I'll support it. No real reason not to right."_ Kenny would remark, loading in his first magazine and pulling back the charging handle.

" _Just don't get us killed, Emmet. Or I'll kill you myself."_ Santina would remark in her Spanish accent.

Emmet, not wishing to reply simply walked over to the intercom and pushed the button pointed out to him earlier.

The room would begin to fade and digital pieces of information would flow all around them, eventually creating a scene of them being on a street in the middle of the desert, with a group of enemies approaching them and opening fire.

" _Contact, Contact, Contact! Enemy, 400 meters, west."_ Emmet would shout out from his training, and proceed to lay on his stomach on the side of the road, aiming down his ironsides on his rifle to return fire.

While Kenny and Emmet would put down some fire on the enemy positions, Henderson would hold back with his shotgun not being able to do shoot that far long range, but proceeded to get into a low crawl position and attempted to drag himself along the sand.

Santina, would position herself along the street aiming down the scope on her rifle, aiming directly at an approaching enemy who should could now better identify. The enemy wore a strange uniform, but the flag on his chest gave away who he was. It was a Chinese Communist Soldier, armed with a Chinese Assault Rifle. Upon seeing this, she began to yell down to Emmet.

" _Emmet, Chinese soldiers. Chinese Assault rifles, total of six. I can take out two, but they're advancing fast."_

Of course, the simulation had to have pre-programmed Chinese Soldiers to act as enemies, the pre-war government wouldn't have had another target. However, this did immerse him a bit into the simulation and give him the feel of being in a pre-war conflict rather than a post-war skirmish.

" _Take the shots, Santina! Then fall back!"_

Santina looked down her sites, and shot her sniper rifle once, hitting a Chinese soldier in the face and his body soon disappearing. Another soldier would drop, after another round would be fired, and they would begin to focus their firepower on Santina and spread out a bit more.

Kenny, seeing his chance in them splitting up would jump up and begin to charge down the road in a run-and-gun style tactic, filling one of the soldiers with four rounds before he collapsed onto the ground and disappeared.

Emmet, played it safe, taking long range pot shots, but eventually managed to down a Chinese soldier. This only left two, who were getting dangerously close and made Kenny and Emmet fall back.

As they were falling back, Emmet had tripped over a rock and fell onto the hard concrete. He yelled out in pain, causing Kenny to turn around and begin to cover the downed soldier.

" _Emmet, are you alright? Can you move?!"_

Kenny yelled out, as he was taught to do for injuries during the medical trainings. The Chinese were getting closer and if it wasn't for Kennys agility, he would've easily been hit by the closing rounds.

Emmet was clenching his right knee, with his weapon sitting down on the ground beside him as he attempted to use his other leg to continue to move back.

Kenny, seeing him struggling to move proceeded to grab him by his shoulders and with all his might drag him onto the sand and away from the Chinese.

It was at this moment that a rather loud shot was heard, and another Chinese soldier went down with the other soldier turning to look at where the shot came from.

Stood with his shotgun up, Henderson had shot one of the Chinese soldiers at point blank range in the head, dripping with sand from his low crawl.

As the other soldier attempted to shoot at Henderson, he quickly fired off two more shots in quick bursts killing the last Chinese soldier.

" _For the United Settlements, you commie shithead."_

The simulation would begin to move onto the next round, reloading their weapons and healing their injuries. A huge letter would appear within the simulation, showing a "B." As the next challenge would load, the same road would be in place, but all the sides were replaced by buildings, alleyways, and cars randomly placed along this road.

Not long after the next round started, bullets started to fly down from the buildings and further down the street. _"Contact, Contact, Contact! Enemy, all sides. Fifty Meters!"_ The team proceeded to various defensive positions. Santina began making her way behind the buildings, disappearing from the rest of her squad causing Emmet to sigh.

Kenny would be posted up onto a car, shooting into the windows of the buildings on the left, while Emmet proceeded to shoot into the windows of buildings on the right.

" _Henderson! Start making your way up the street and clear these buildings on the left. I have no idea where the hell Santina went!"_

Henderson would begin to make his way up the sidewalk, into the very first building as he kicked the door opened and shot two Chinese soldiers who were guarding the bottom floor as he made his way into the building. He came to a door at the top of the second floor, that proceeded to open on him, and he was soon engaged in a small melee with the Chinese soldier.

The soldier would use his weapon, and thrust into Henderson's weapon and throw him off balance, and use that to kick him back down the stairs to the first floor. The fall wasn't too far, having only climbed a total of six stairs, but it sure hurt like hell to Hendersons back. Dropping his combat shotgun on the way down, the Chinese soldier soon pointed his rifle at Henderson who rolled over to the right to avoid the bullets.

As the Chinese soldier made his way down to finish the job, as soon as he turned his head to deliver the final shots into Henderson, he was punched square in his left cheek, sending him into the wall, which would be following by a kick to the stomach, and one to the back of the neck sending him fully onto the ground. One last kick would crack his skull, killing him and soon disappearing.

As Henderson proceeded to stand up, aching in the back from the fall, he would see Santina merely laughing at him.

" _Oh, Henderson, I never thought you would need momma to come to your aid."_

Henderson would merely grunt, heading to the stairs to pick up his rifle and firing three rounds of his shotgun into the upstairs door in case more were behind it before opening it and cleared out the second floor with Santina.

On the Emmet front, him and Kenny would have gone through at least five magazines of their ammo, leaving only two left and they had only three confirmed takedowns and were still being barraged by bullets from the Chinese.

" _Emmet, we need a new strategy! Running dry here!"_

Kenny would yell out, loading in a new clip and taking cover along the walls of one of the buildings.

Emmet would begin to look out onto the street, seeing that it was mostly blocked by random cars placed across the road, and the buildings still not being fully killed. Santina and Henderson were still making their way through the buildings, but it was progressing far too slowly.

" _Think, Emmet. Think. How can we win this?"_ As he pondered the thought, he soon began receiving a transmission on his radio.

" _Emmet, this is Henderson. Left side is clear. Shall we loop around and proceed onto the right?"_

Emmet turned to Kenny, and signaled him to move into the building on the left side of the street, before picking up his radio and responding.

" _Henderson, this is Emmet. Negative. Going to draw their fire onto the street. You may be the best person for this."_

Emmet placed his radio back onto his belt and proceeded into the building behind Kenny, and regrouped with the team.

" _Santina, where the fuck have you been? You disappear, then end up here with Henderson?"_

Emmet looked to Santina, who merely shrugged and rolled her eyes.

" _A girl gets around Emmet. Maybe you should try it. May have more luck that way."_

Kenny, hearing the shooting from the street coming to an end would turn to a nearby window and looked out onto the street, only for a shot to hit the very brick right next to his head.

" _Yea, enough chatting. More strategy!"_

Emmet nodded to Kenny, before turning back to Santina and Henderson. _"Alright, here is what I need you two to do. Me and Kenny have two magazines left. I want you to draw the fire of the Chinese onto the street, and when they pop their heads out of the windows me and Kenny can use the distraction to take them out."_

" _Damn, that's risky. But it may be our best shot. Alright, I'm in."_ Henderson would say.

Santina would merely look at Emmet, and roll her eyes. _"I'm in too. Let's hurry this up…"_

Emmet would post himself up on the side of a window, with Kenny on another window as they would nod to Santina and Henderson to proceed downstairs and begin the distraction. Henderson would rush out first, firing random shotgun shells into various windows on the other side while side stepping to draw any Chinese fire.

Santina, would rush down the road, drawing fire from another sentry as she attempted to reach the last building on the street to lure all the Chinese from the other buildings into shooting at her.

Seeing their chance, Kenny and Emmet would pop out of their windows and shoot into the opposing windows where shots originated from. They would make quick work of the remaining combatants, and the simulation would end the level giving them a "C."

The last simulation was like Drill Sergeant Johnson and Gage said, dark and inside a dense forest. It was rather creepy, with strange sounds.

" _Alright, keep a tight formation guys. We don't know what lurks in this forest."_

Almost on cue, a might pre-war grizzly bear leaped at Henderson, and killed him with his claws. It then proceeded to go for Emmet, but was put down by Santina.

" _Shit, Henderson!"_

Henderson's body would begin to disappear from the simulation, leaving the three.

The three would slowly begin to advance, and hear sounds of barking inbound to their location. The barks would turn into howling from time to time, but would appear to be fast approaching from the sounds of the movements of bushes.

In no time, a pack of wolves soon appeared and began to surround the team.

" _Fucking wolves man!"_ Santina would remark, soon being bitten in the leg and falling to the ground.

" _Santina, shit!"_

Emmet would pull out his 10mm pistol, firing a few shots into the wolf, but would soon be jumped on by a few wolves who would proceed to tear into his uniform as he would struggle to get them off.

Kenny would manage to kill a few, causing the wolves to retreat, but not after killing Emmet and severely injuring Santina's leg.

" _Kenny! Fuck, man. We gotta do something. We're naked like this!"_

As Kenny would proceed to Santina, he would attempt to apply pressure to the wound after wrapping it from ripping portions of his clothing, to attempt to slow bleeding. However, as he was practicing the basic first aid, he would be met by a gun into his neck.

" _Die American!"_

A Chinese soldier would shoot out rounds from his assault rifle into Kennys neck, and shot down Santina directly after, ending the simulation with an "F" rating.

They would soon appear back inside Hidden Valley, with Drill Sergeant Gage in the center of the room as the pods would lift up.

"Golf squad, what the hell! You killed the Chinese in the first too, but couldn't handle some fucking wolves and a bear?! Are you shitting me Golf squad?!"

The squad would initially stay quiet, but Emmet would not hold his silence and began to speak up.

" _Drill Sergeant, the forest was very dense, low visibility. We couldn't-…"_ Drill Sergeant would interrupt him to finish sentence, _"try hard enough to succeed, that's what you couldn't do! Wolves Golf, fucking wolves! If you can't handle a pack of small mongrels, there is no way in hell you will be able to stand a chance against a radscorpion, giant ant, or something. And America-forbid you come across a Cazador or Deathclaw. This was a bear, and a fucking wolf pack! That Chinese soldier had some easy targets."_

Emmet would proceed into silence, feeling rather disappointed in himself. Although he couldn't have predicted what they were going to encounter, he assumed keeping the squad that close together was rather bad for ambushes like that in a dark and dense forest.

" _You are going to be retested on this later in the day. You will get a total of three tries, with this being your first. If you can't pass this, you all will repeat this week of Basic. Do you understand?!"_

" _Yes, Drill Sergeant!"_ They would say in unison, and soon be dismissed for the next squadron to come in for their test. Hopefully, Golf squad will manage to pass eventually.


	11. Chapter XI: Improving Leadership

_March 13th, 2248_

Over the next two days, Golf squad was still attempting to complete their final for week three of their basic training. They were allowed to try again later in the day, but still could not manage to pass. Each attempt from there only got worse and worse, with the members arguing with each other on the usage of tactics, bad cooperation, and lack of discipline to execute a refined strategy.

Their failures to accomplish all the tasks brought them the attention of Drill Sergeant Moreno, who relentlessly began to drill into them additional physical training as a punishment for failing, and grueling team building exercises designed to force them to work with each other. After failing a total of seven times, this was going to be their last shot at graduation and many of them were still bitter from the last failures.

As they stood outside the simulation, they noticed that they were the only squad that needed to be retested as the rest of the platoon had passed, which brought down their morale even more. Santina became very vocal within the squad, constantly getting into arguments with Emmet who she called _"a goofball not worthy of leading brahmin."_

Henderson attempted to mediate the disputes, but even he was gaining increased amounts of frustration at the squads inability to work together. And Kenny, began to just stay quiet and watch them pull each other apart from the sidelines.

Emmet, knowing he was the team leader of Golf took these failures to heart. He increasingly showed strain during the simulation, and often resorted to engaging in hostile tones with other members of his squad.

These got so severe over the repeated failures, that Emmet even began to attempt to work the simulations alone against advice from his squad, and believed he could single-handily win the conflict with no additional support. These always lead him to die, and doomed the squad.

As they stood outside the VR room, Emmet could merely watch the demoralized faces of his squad, as they prepared to bring about another failure.

" _We we're doing so well….and now we're broken."_ As Emmet scanned their faces, something inside of him snapped. Not a snap as if a branch had broken off from a tree, but a snap of an emotion now seeping inside of his veins.

Emmet became angry. His eyes squinting into the distance as if he had been possessed, and he wore on his face an expression that looked both hostile and calm, even though his eyeballs possessed a fiery eagle ready for a show down.

"He turned to his squad, who were either looking around in hopes a miracle would happen to allow them to pass, or accepting that they were going to have to repeat this entire week.

" _Listen up Golf, the time for self-loathing is over."_

They began to look up at their squad leader, with Santina rolling her eyes, but was too aggravated to speak.

" _I don't know about you, but I'm sick of feeling like a failure. And I would sure as hell hope you all feel the same way. This simulation has tested our resolve, dedication, and to put it frankly our sanity in the face of an unforgiving adversary. And every defeat we have met, has caused us to grow bitter towards one another, and made get worse and worse! We went from a B in the first challenge, to a D!"_

Santina looked up to Emmet, unable to contain herself from calling him out.

" _Oh, so now you feel like being a leader? Most of the time you were yelling out of your ass to do this, do that, get over here, pull back. And now you're giving some inspirational speech to cheer us up, and not even have the balls to apologize?"_

Emmet shifted his gaze to Santina, stepping right in front of her and looked her in the very eyes everyone had avoided.

" _Now you listen here Santina. You may be the best warrior in this squad, but you have a long way to go when it comes to working as a team. Speak shit about me whenever and wherever you want, but when it comes to me leading a squad you need to shut the hell up, get with the program, and under my orders accomplish the mission and task at hand. You don't have to like me. Hell you can curse me, hate me, all that fine shit on your own time. But right now, we have a mission. And I need all of us to work together. So I'm sorry I may have been harsh in the past, but it's time to look to the future. And the question I have right now for you Santina, is if you're onboard with those plans?"_

Henderson shifted his gaze to the two after seeing what Emmet had just done, and was internally shocked at his friends' actions.

Henderson had known Emmet for years, on his best and worst days. He would get into arguments, and fights, but could never be called a leader in any regard as he was far too reckless.

Even going through the simulations could show any bystander how he was not yet ready to lead anyone, let alone into a combat situation, however Henderson long knew that he had plenty of potential to lead and this among other minor factors is why Henderson voted to place Emmet to lead Golf. And it finally appeared that he was about to take his newly found position very seriously.

Santina, looked over Emmet up and down, trying to decide whether to just accept what he says and finish the training, or to punch him in the face for trying to assert dominance over her.

" _I'll follow you into this mission, but don't think you're going to make me your bitch, Emmet. I'll be calling out any bullshit I see."_

"Good, enough," Emmet thought to himself. He then made his way to Kenny who seemed rather indifferent about the situation.

" _Kenny, your problem is that you are too indifferent. Take some fucking passion in what you do, and stop standing on the sidelines. I believe you are an upcoming and capable warrior, who seems to look at personal challenge and try to overcome up. But you got to start getting more involved with the squad."_

Kenny merely sighed, knowing that Emmet was right. All his life Kenny stood on the sidelines, which showed to his squad. He rarely internally questioned any order from a Drill Sergeant or made fun of them in the barracks. He always stayed quiet unless ordered, and followed the orders without looking at a bigger picture of how things could turn out.

" _Yea, sorry Emmet. I guess I do need to start coming out of my shell."_

As Kenny began to soul search within his mind, Emmet had made his way down to Henderson who watched the entire thing unfold.

" _Henderson, you're loyal, tough, and very helpful. We've gone through some tough times together and I find it an honor to be called your friend and hope we continue to work with each other in the future. However, when we're in the simulation or in combat in general you cannot always spearhead by yourself. Although it has had success, you must coordinate with the team. Never go it alone. I know you believe you can handle it, but there's always a bigger picture. And I'm starting to realize my own role in that picture. "_

It was true, Henderson and Emmet had been through some very tough times together. They met when they were teenagers in New Reno, running small scams to make ends meet. When they gathered a little money, they began to volunteer as caravan guards which lead them to some weird and at times scary scenarios that they would always find a way out of. When they got to the Mojave, it was back to scamming and making ends meet until they heard about a new army being created in the Mojave that offered some nice steady benefits and decided to join up.

" _Emmet, I thank you for your kind words and believe the same. I'll try and cut it down with my conduct on the battlefield, and stay close to the team."_ Henderson smiled after speaking.

As Emmet turned around from Henderson, he was met with the grinful stare of Drill Sergeant Moreno and almost jumped back into Henderson, but somehow he kept his feet planted to the floor.

" _I see you're actually growing a pair kid. Maybe there is some hope for you, yet."_ Moreno said.

It was different when he said this though. Usually when Moreno spoke to Emmet, he was either berating him for something, yelling orders, or generally being a sadistic person with nothing but cruel punishments on his mind. Yet the tone-…the tone of this was different.

Emmet didn't feel threatened, hurt, or even scared. He felt, content. Like he had been complemented by someone who didn't even see him as someone worth training.

This boosted Emmet's internal confidence, yet he remained with a steadfast blank expression recruits were forced to wear when addressing a drill sergeant.

" _Yes, Drill Sergeant! Grown a pair, I have!"_ Emmet said.

Moreno simply nodded, and later called the squad into the VR Room to begin their test as they equipped the same loadouts they had during the first test and soon the simulation loaded.

" _Let's do this gentleman. Today…. today we pass!"_

On the first one, they received an _"A"_ rating. No causalities, no tripping over rocks, just straight clean shots with minimal ammo usage combined with maximum effectiveness.

On the second one, they followed a similar strategy as the first, with Santina and Henderson staying together during the clearing of the buildings rather than originally splitting up. They were then able to use their window strategy more effectively, killing all the Chinese forces without suffering an injury, loss, or change in their plan and received another _"A"_ rating.

Now came the dreadfully dense, and low visibility forest. The one that always caused them to fail, but Emmet had a new strategy.

" _Alright, we know we're dealing with animals. And we know that bunching up was not a great plan. This time, I want to make a square. Distance yourselves from each other, but hold a triangle like perimeter. See any movement, you take it down. Santina, you will stay in the middle with that sniper and shoot anything we need shot, as well as alert us to new enemies. Let's move."_

The squad began to move into positions, with Henderson covering their rear as the top of the triangle, and Emmet along with Kenny covering the front.

The bear soon came into view, after being called out by Santina who was using her scope on her rifle to make out the movement of the bear.

Henderson wasted no time in pumping rounds from his combat shotgun into the bear, soon setting off the howling of the wolves.

" _We got wolves incoming, keep it tight and shoot when you see them. Let's take these hounds to the vet."_

The first one appeared from one of the trees, and was shot down by Emmet, with another attempting to run up to Kenny who quickly took him down.

" _Got multiple targets, closing in from the north. Fifty meters."_ Santina said.

" _Kenny, let's light that portion up. Open fire!"_ Emmet shouted, firing his rounds in controlled bursts into the woodlines north of their position with Kenny.

Although they could not confirm whether they had killed the wolves rushing towards them or not, they at least could confirm that the threat was neutralized after no longer hearing the sounds of howling and rustling of bushes.

" _That does it for the animals for now, but the Chinese are somewhere around here."_ Henderson pointed out.

" _I believe we should push north, into the direction of where the wolves were coming from. Might find something."_ Kenny added.

As Emmet begin to think of his options, he looked to Santina who was still keeping her eyes opened for any movement around them, and seemed to be more focused on their surroundings then their own conversation.

" _Glad to see you're up on things Santina. But we're going to start heading north, keep those eyes peeled in case we get ambushed."_

Santina didn't respond verbally, but gave a nod to assure him that she understood her orders.

Emmet then proceeded to use hand signals to direct the team north, moving slow as to not disturb the foliage too much and give away their position. More critters began to pop up that they were unfamiliar with, such as Deer and Rabbits. Yet, nothing that seemed to be threatening to the mission.

They soon approached a log cabin, with dark smoke that came up from the chimney with a Chinese flag hanging off a pole in the front.

" _This must be the place."_ Kenny said to Emmet, in a quiet tone as to not give away their position.

Emmet took a moment to observe the cabin. A car was parked close by, but appeared to have nobody inside, yet was placed on Emmet's search list just to verify. The cabin wasn't big, probably three rooms at best, and most likely only housed a dozen Chinese soldiers if they were inside. A little in the backyard of the cabin, Emmet could spot what appeared to be a barn that would also need to be searched.

Emmet had also deduced that this must be a simulation of some kind of listening post, that was used during the resource wars by the Chinese years ago, at least, that was what he was taught during the classes in Basic.

Emmet reached down to his radio, placing it next to his mouth and silently began to talk into it. _"Henderson, Henderson this is Emmet. Pick up your radio."_

Henderson, lowering his shotgun down towards the ground reached for his radio with his free hand and held it up to his lips and mashed down the talk button, lowering his voice as he talked.

" _Emmet, this is Henderson. Go ahead."_ Henderson said.

" _Henderson, grab Santina, and make your way closer to me and Kenny's position. Move silently, but quickly."_ Emmet replied.

" _Understood, enroute."_ As Henderson belted his radio, he began to back up towards the position of Emmet and Kenny, while exchanging glances behind him and in front of them to ensure nobody snuck up on him or his squad. He picked up Santina along the way, and soon met up with Kenny and Emmet, watching the cabin.

" _Alright, squad. Here is the plan. Santina, you are going to stay in these woods and provide cover and update us on anything that happens during our breach and clear. Henderson, Kenny, you will both be with me on the breach and clear. Henderson will lead, with Kenny and I working flanks. Will clear around the car, make our way to the door and check for traps and breach. Once we breach and clear the cabin, we will make our way to the barn and follow the same procedure. Does everyone understand?"_

They would all nod, bringing a smile to Emmet as he nodded back to them.

" _Alright, Henderson it's on you. When you start, we start."_ Emmet said.

Henderson would make his way out of the woods, holding up his shotgun as Kenny and Emmet took positions on his side in a v-like formation. They quickly glanced into the car to ensure nobody was inside and made their way to the door, stacking onto one side.

Kenny would be at the back of the stack, and would soon move to the door and feel for any obvious traps on the door and nod to Henderson who would return the nod.

After receiving the nod, Kenny would kick the door as hard as he could, stepping onto the opposite side of the door as Henderson and Emmet made their way inside to later be followed by Kenny.

Three Chinese soldiers were present, and were quickly killed off, but four Chinese soldiers began rushing out from the barn to the front door.

Santina, seeing the soldiers rushing to the house proceeded to pick up her radio and attempt contact with the squad. _"Santina to Emmet, come in Emmet."_

Emmet would pick up his radio and reply, _"This is Emmet, go ahead."_

" _Emmet, four Chinese soldiers just rushed out from the barn. They're attempting to come in through the front. I can take out at least one, but it'll give away my position."_ Santina said, seeing the Chinese beginning to surround the front.

" _Negative, hold position. When you see us come out, then you take your shots. Emmet, out."_ Static would be heard coming through Santina's radio as she would place it back onto her belt.

" _Alright boys, we got company. Get to those windows, and prepare for a small battle. When I say now, open up on those Chinese fucks."_ Emmet would position himself near the door, with Kenny and Henderson getting close to the cabin windows as they prepared for orders.

" _Now!"_ Emmet opened the cabin door, and began to spray into the Chinese positions with support from Kenny and Henderson.

Santina, recognizing her chance emptied a round into the head of a Chinese soldier, killing him instantly and helping to draw fire away from the rest of her squad.

The remaining three were a cake walk to deal with, and within moments even the barn was cleared and the stage was finally complete with a rating of "A".

" _Yes, we did it! Golf squad did it!"_ Emmet began to shout out in celebration of their victory, as they exited the simulation pods and was promptly slapped across the face by Drill Sergeant Gage.

"What the fuck is wrong with you recruit! When in the hell, did we say you could lose your military bearing!" Drill Sergeant Gage yelled.

" _Never, Drill Sergeant…"_ Emmet said, realizing how he much he just fucked up.

" _You're on goddamn mess hall detail for the rest of the week. You may have fucking passed a test, but you will never lose that military bearing, am I understood?!"_

" _Yes, Drill Sergeant!"_ Emmet said, while internally cursing to himself for his week one mistake.

" _Take your squad, and get back to the barracks. You passed your final. Dismissed!"_ Drill Sergeant Gage said, as they began to make their way back to the barracks.

" _It's alright Emmet, you should be happy. Even though, it gives you mess hall detail."_ Kenny said, placing a hand on his shoulder to try and comfort him.

" _Thanks Kenny. I guess it's just a hard knock life for us it seems."_ Emmet said, giving a small smile to Kenny who removed his hand from his shoulder and proceeded on his way.

" _Yes, sir…it's a hard knock life…"_ Emmet said in his head, making his way into the mess hall for his detail.


	12. Chapter XII: A Ranger and a Governor

_March 15th, 2248_

Mojave Outpost around noon was always bustling with activity. With Chief Ranger Devon sending out rangers on special missions, to generally keeping track of people entering the Mojave from California, the outpost was a hub of activity.

Ranger Katelyn, was sitting outside of the outposts, smoking a cigarette and focused her attention on the road approaching the outpost from Nipton. It was in this action, that she spotted a familiar figure dressed in his enclave officer uniform, flanked by two Stormtroopers who held laser rifles.

As the figure approached, Katelyn could only sigh, removing the cigarette from her lips throwing it onto the sound, putting it out with her foot as the figure stood a few feet from her.

" _If you're looking for Devon, he isn't here right now. And I am not taking no god damn messages from you assholes." Katelyn said, staring at the man._

" _I actually was looking for you, Miss Katelyn. I had a personal favor to ask of you, if you don't mind."_ The man smiled, knowing how much she seemed to hate him.

" _Sorry Governor Washington, but I do mind. If you want a ranger, wait for Devon. As for me, I'm going to go inside and get me some whiskey. After seeing your face, maybe the alcohol will make me forget I saw you."_ Katelyn turned away from Washington, walking towards the entrance of Mojave Outpost as Washington watched her walk away.

" _Ranger Katelyn, I never took you as someone who would disobey orders from Chief Devon."_ Washington smirked, as he saw her stop in her tracks.

She turned around to face Washington, and took in his smirk with a feeling of anger and rage of knowing he enjoyed going on these small power trips, to show dominance. _"Now you listen here governor, I am a loyal Desert Ranger that has been fighting here in the Mojave since you were having wet dreams in your oil rig. I killed more than you have, done more then you have, and overall have more respect in these parts then you could ever imagine."_

Katelyn began to approach Washington, getting close enough to his face that a small kiss could have been stolen if either really wished to take it that far, and Katelyn continued to rip into him.

" _You are a child, governor. Hiding in your little bunkers, never spending a day in your life enduring the harsh conditions most of us live with daily. Have you even actually spent on day in the wasteland, alone and with no real support from your buddies? No, you haven't. So get off your power trip, and get that broom out of your ass. Maybe then you'll get off your high Brahmin, or whatever makes you feel this powerful."_

Katelyn took a deep breath, noticing the expression of Washington's face turn from a smirk to a rather disappointed expression. She had to admit, she was confused by the expression, as he had nothing to be disappointed about, and that he was in no way her master and would be coldly turned down by her at any turn she could to make his life hell. Yet, he was only disappointed.

" _Miss Katelyn, I get it. You may think I'm the worst human being on the face of the earth, that goes on power trips just because I have the soldiers. I have never spent time in the Wasteland, that is true. But I am willing to try new things. I'll make you a deal. I'll send my troopers back to base, and you and me will make some runs around the wasteland. I need to host some meetings with some of the town mayors anyway, and I believe you could teach me some things. What do you say?"_ Washington asked sincerely, holding out his hand towards Katelyn.

" _Is he serious?"_ Katelyn said to herself within the confines of her mind. The all-powerful governor of the Mojave, was offering to travel with Katelyn around the Mojave to attempt to learn something from her? Was he high on jet? Or maybe just insane? Katelyn really couldn't wrap her mind around it, and it was not helped by Washington extending his hand to Katelyn to seal the deal.

The more Katelyn thought about the offer, the more she became confused. Washington was evil, but he seemed rather humble. His crew attempted to commit genocide, yet he's offering to get closer to the wasteland citizens. They were also known to backstab people, yet he was offering to send away all his security to travel with a Desert Ranger to various towns. Her train of thought was disrupted, as Washington coughed into his hand, bringing Katelyn back to the scenario at hand.

" _Um…you know, I'm inclined to say no. Yet, I'm going to say yes. Try anything while we travel, and I'll cut your throat one hundred and nine different ways to New California. And I'm not shaking your hand…"_ Katelyn said.

Washington soon retracted his hand and gave a nod. He then turned to his security, ordering them to return to their base and soon Katelyn and Washington stood together at Mojave Outpost.

" _What the hell are you standing there for? You said you got meetings, then lead the way."_ Katelyn said, with a hint of annoyance in her voice.

" _With pleasure, Miss Katelyn."_ The smile returned across Washington's face, with him turning around wand proceeding to make his way down to the nearest town.

Katelyn, ensured she kept some distance between the two, with Katelyn walking behind Washington to watch for any strange actions or motions that may be used to kill her. She was a Desert Ranger first and foremost, and knew that if she had a problem with someone powerful, to never fully trust them until their true motives are uncovered.

As the two made their way away from Mojave Outpost, Washington couldn't help but wonder not so much about the Ranger who kept a slight distance from him, but rather on the welcoming committee awaiting them in the towns under his empire. Although most joined peacefully, they all joined with a reason to advance their civilizations. And balancing the needs of the towns, along with any new towns that may come into his empire was soon going to be a heavy task.

Maybe he could appoint a cabinet, to help administrate certain aspects of his empire and set up a small bureaucracy. Or even, set up small regions of control with a sub-governor of some sort. The possibilities of dealing with these sorts of issues were endless and Washington felt comfort in that he had options.

" _So, Miss Katelyn. Why did you become a Desert Ranger?"_ Washington inquired, as he continued to walk down the long hill from Mojave Outpost.

Katelyn had been observing the nearby landscapes, and Washingtons gestures and actions that at first she didn't even register he had spoken a word to her, before he coughed in his hand and repeated.

" _To keep scum like you away from ruining the lives of the good people of the Mojave."_ Katelyn shot back, with a hint of venom in her voice.

" _Scum like me? Why Miss Katelyn, you don't know anything about me. How can you be so sure that I am scum?"_ Washington teased, still refusing to turn back to Katelyn.

" _I know you used to be a part of the Enclave, further out west. Let me guess. You probably grew up within the Enclave Oil Rig away from the perils of the Wasteland for most of your young life, until you somehow became an officer where you then deployed onto the Wasteland. Am I warm?"_

" _Yes, actually. Seems you know a bit about the history of the Enclave. But this still doesn't answer how I am scum."_ Washington prodded with a playful tone.

" _Your Enclave, tried to commit mass genocide! If it wasn't for the Chosen One blowing up your precious base, we would not be having this conversation right now. And most likely, you would be back on your oil rig with your genocidal pals, laughing it up about how you are saving humanity or some nonsense."_ Katelyn groaned, getting annoyed at Washington even more.

Washington soon stopped in his walk, breathing out a deep sigh as he turned to Katelyn who stood a few feet away. _"Make a move, I dare you…"_ These were the words on Katelyn's mind, as Washington merely stood there turned to her.

" _Miss Katelyn, let me make something clear. I may have dark roots, but that doesn't mean I am so blind. I do not defend the actions of my previous…affiliations, nor do I endorse their methods. My only goal in the Mojave, is to use it to rebuild a fallen nation for every human, ghoul, and mutant within reason to enjoy relative peace and stability. If you hate me, I understand, and I don't ask for you to like me. I'm here to serve a purpose, and that purpose is my goal. I am not armed with a weapon, so hence you really are my only protection and I do that as a show of trust in you. Whether this is returned is up to you. And if this makes me scum as you say, then so be it."_

Washington turned back around once he finished, and proceeded to walk back down the roads as before, but this time had his hands behind his back interlocked as if he was thinking of something in deep thought. Katelyn hadn't really noticed at first, but he was right. He didn't have a weapon. And after sending his guards away, he certainly was pretty much defenseless if not for Katelyn.

She smiled at the possibilities. She could shoot him in the back, and feed him to some wasteland critter that happens to find the remains. She could lure him into a cave, and torture him until he whines for mercy or many other things she deemed to be fitting for an enclave member. However, she refused to carry any of them out. Partially this was out of respect for Chief Devon's pact with the new Enclave, and partially out of curiosity into Washington's curiosity. If this man was to be believed, she would want to learn as much as she could about him. And travelling with him would certainly give her these insights.

" _Alright Governor, we're a few hours off from Nipton. If we keep following the roads, we should not run into much resistance."_ Katelyn said.

" _Please, call me Washington. Governor is for citizens and the like. You now are like a personal bodyguard, and hence should begin to know me more on a personal level as I believe that is only fair. Call me Washington."_ Washington said, turning his head to Katelyn to flash a small smile, before looking back forward.

" _Well, Washington. I hope what you say is true. Because if it isn't, I will chop off your balls and roast them on a fire over the Hoover Dam."_ Katelyn said, chuckling at the end of her sentence. Yet how serious she was, was a question she was herself not ready to answer.

" _I'd be insulted if you didn't. You Rangers sure do have pride. Let's hope it stays that way."_ Washington said, continuing his march to Nipton with Katelyn following close by as they both stopped chatting for the silent march.

* * *

 **Authors Note:**

I think this is a good time to get some questions in about the story, that may have either not been fully explained, left in the air, or you just didn't get a good understanding of it from what I wrote. Feel free to write these questions in whenever you get them and I will do my best to respond. Also, if you have the time please review the story. I love hearing the feedback and I am always looking to improve on certain aspects. Have a great day, and a better one tomorrow. Hope your enjoying the story so far.


	13. Chapter XIII: The Census

_March 16th, 2248_

Washington and Katelyn continued travelling to Nipton from Mojave Outpost, but chose to take a break once they reached Nipton Road Rest Stop as it had already gotten late, and together decided to enter the town in the morning. Inside the Rest Stop, Washington had already drifted off to sleep and it was eerily quiet for Katelyn, who would usually hear sounds of gun fire in the distance, screaming from a rape, or some other unpleasant sound that signaled to her that trouble is soon to find her and she needed to be prepared.

Yet, in the darkness of the Mojave that stretched for miles, not a sound. It was rather, peaceful. To anyone who has seen chaos, this may have been one of the greatest gifts you could bestow. However, to Katelyn it was, odd.

Nothing was happening. The Mojave was quiet, and not even the type of quiet that meant a storm was on its way. Just quiet. It was all too strange, and it was all due to what Washington's posse had done.

She wanted to hate him for taking away something else from her, however, she knew it would be very hypocritical. The Desert Rangers were supposed to bring peace to the Mojave Wasteland, but it looks like the Enclave have beat them to it. And being mad at them for taking her job was one thing, but being mad for them taking away the very peace she herself claimed she wanted to bring and now has, would be too hypocritical for her to even stomach the thought.

Inside the rest stop, there were a few beds left over from previous raider groups that would use this route to rob and harass traders and travelers for their caps and supplies, but since these groups now no longer existed, it was just a makeshift stop for whoever decided to use it. And today, it was Katelyn and Washington who occupied the place.

She soon dozed off to sleep on one of the mattresses, shutting her eyes and attempted to drown out the pool of thoughts that made her feel uneasy, and eventually managed to get a few hours of sleep before the sun came up and they were on the move again towards Nipton.

" _Miss Katelyn, you look like you've had a rough night."_ Washington said, again walking in front of Katelyn while she followed behind yet didn't turn around.

" _How does he know I had a rough night? He didn't even turn around."_ Katelyn thought to herself, before coming up with a response.

" _I don't know what you're talking about Washington. I'm feeling great as I can be. Just being out in the field, has you go through some transformations. But you wouldn't know much about that, now would you?"_ Katelyn said.

" _She's such a bad liar,"_ were the words that went through Washington's head as they walked. In truth, he had noticed her rather restless state when he woke up. Seeing her as a little slower than she normally was, and noticing her minor errors she made when she thought he wasn't looking. However, he didn't wish to call her out on the lie as it would serve him no benefit. Rather, he wanted to encourage it.

" _Oh, I guess not. Guess this is why you're the ranger, right?"_ Washington said, with a slight undertone of sadness for effect.

Katelyn didn't respond, and in the ten minutes of silence between the two they reached the town of Nipton.

Nipton was a rather small town that had a General Store, City Hall, and some minor establishments for lounging. Yet despite the small townie feel, it was a place for thieves, prostitutes, and gamblers. It also had a town Mayor named Joseph Stubbles who generally encouraged the illicit businesses in the city yet paid tribute to the Enclave.

As the two passed by the general store onto the main street, they could see the work of the prostitutes first hand. Some were standing outside of various businesses, along the sidewalks, and some would be seen luring men or even woman into certain areas to take care of their "business."

Katelyn merely scoffed, rolling her eyes at the degenerates that inhabited the town as some of the men tried to make passes at her, and Washington was approached by some of the prostitutes, but were politely declined and pushed passed as the two made their way to City Hall.

" _So, Washington. We're going to see the mayor and do what here exactly?"_ Katelyn asked, as they stood outside City Hall and Washington held upon the door, motioning her inside as she would oblige.

" _We're going to see about the status of this town. Learn it's problems, it's goals, it's profits, it's everything. We're then going to use this valuable data from each town to make policy to benefit all of them, and grow."_ Washington responded, before being approached by a man in a pre-war business suit.

" _Excuse me, but who exactly are you?"_ The man asked, looking to Washington.

" _I'm Governor Washington, and I'm here for a detailed report on your city. And this is my escort, Ranger Katelyn."_ Washington replied, looking over to Katelyn who would be shaking her head at the _"escort,"_ statement.

" _Governor Washington? You mean, the Governor of the Mojave Washington? The Enclave? Oh wow, I didn't expect to be seeing you. Please, let's talk in my office."_ The man would turn around, making his way up the stairs of the building as Washington and Katelyn would follow.

They would reach the second floor, going down the hallway to the mayor's office who would sit them down in front of his desk, and sit himself down behind the desk as he would clear his throat.

" _Governor, welcome to Nipton. If you don't already know, I am Mayor Stubbles, and I'm in charge of this cesspool. To what do I owe this pleasure?"_ Mayor Stubbles would look over the two, studying the governor and his bodyguard, as Washington would begin to respond to his question.

" _I'm here to compile a complete report on Nipton. I need to know the history, economic status, population, everything. Everything must be accounted for, and logged in my report."_ Washington answered, looking around the room afterwards.

" _Well, I can only give you so much governor. We may need to generally go around the town to get more of these intricate details, but I don't suppose it'll be hard. May I ask, what this information will be used for, governor?"_ Mayor Stubbles inquired, looking to Ranger Katelyn who appeared to be staring him down.

" _That information will be discussed later. The task at hand is getting the information as accurate as possible, and delivering it back home for further consideration."_ Washington said.

" _Yes, governor. Well, let us begin this ugh-...census."_ Mayor Stubbles said, standing up from his chair and straightening his suit.

Throughout the rest of the day, the three would begin going around the town and documenting various amounts of information. Ensuring to get the population numbers, economic data, and any information that proved interesting to Washington.

The data being collected raised questions to Katelyn, who began to question what the governor was going to do with all that information and knew that this information would need to be collected for each settlement they visited, and Nipton just happened to be first.

By the time they finished collecting all the appropriate data, it had already turned six o'clock, and the sun was nearly already almost gone as they said their goodbyes to the town mayor and made their way to their next destination.

As they departed across the tracks from Nipton, Katelyn noticed the governor had collected himself a backpack and appeared to have placed his notes within it, leaving Katelyn to wonder more on what he was planning to use the notes for.

" _Washington. Why are you collecting these notes on these settlements? If I wanted to be ignorant, I would say you were collecting a new gene pool for one of your enclave experiments. But, I'm not ignorant. You were collecting civilization data, and I want to know why."_ Katelyn demanded, with Washington merely giving her a smile from ahead of her.

" _I don't know Katelyn. This information will travel much too far if I tell you from here. You need to be closer."_ Washington teased, continuing up the road with Katelyn soon coming to his side not long after.

" _Now will you tell me why you're collecting this data?"_ Katelyn repeated, walking next to Washington for a change.

" _I'm collecting this data, to see how these settlements function. How they work, and how they grow. That way, when we start implementing laws we know what to try and avoid, how to maximize profit, and happiness."_ Washington said.

" _We're not going to become a New Mojave Republic, Miss Katelyn. The New California Republic is too corrupt, too bureaucratic, and too ineffective to properly attend to the needs of its citizens. Not the United Settlements. I will not be instituting a democracy here, it's much too soon and the people here are not ready for those decisions. So, to effectively govern. I need to know the problems on a ground level and benefits, so I know how to properly use them. That's what these reports are going to grant me."_ Washington ended, taking in a deep breath and slowly letting it out to be carried by the Mojave wind.

" _So, you plan on setting up a sort of dictatorship in the Mojave. And use this information to help you effectively create it? This already sounds like a disaster in the making."_ Katelyn merely sighed, with her small moment of hope in Washington beginning to fade away.

" _Not exactly. I said the Wasteland wasn't ready for a democracy. I never said they weren't ready to govern. I'm going to need the people to help me govern this land, and advise. I have huge plans as you already know Miss Katelyn, and we need to know how to put in place those plans if we are to survive and grow. Think about it. Would you rather do it my way, or try and negotiate with the New California Republic for a better deal?"_ Washington said, stopping in the road to listen to the rangers response as he crossed his arms.

Katelyn, had to think about the question. On one hand, if she supported Washington she would have to admit to herself that she was willing to allow a possible tyrant take power over the people of the Mojave who claims would best protect and serve them. On the other hand, if she supported the New California Republic. She knew they only care about their ideals, and wouldn't mind annexing without much care for the locals so long as they grew their republics borders. No better in her mind, and with conflicts of interest plaguing their government sectors they may turn out to be a worse alternative then what she is seeing from Washington.

" _I, support you Washington. But if you weren't here, I would be forced to go for the New California Republic."_ Katelyn groaned, berating herself for her answer.

" _Glad to hear it. It won't be as bad as you think Miss Katelyn. I mean, we've already dealt with many of the problems in the Mojave that the NCR is still dealing with till this day and has been for years. You just got to have a little faith."_ Washington smiled, picking back up his walk as they would walk together away from Nipton.

" _Oh, and Washington. Stop calling me Miss. Just call me Katelyn from now on. The Miss is getting annoying."_ Katelyn said.

" _Sure, thing Katelyn. Whatever you say. Now, we continue on our way to Searchlight. If only the New California Republic cared this much about the people under its jurisdiction. Speaking of the New California Republic, I wonder how they're doing since the death of President Tandi."_ Washington said, wondering to himself the state of the New California Republic. Hoping it had enough problems to focus on and would not attempt an expedition into the Mojave for a good amount of years for Washington to at turn the Mojave into a decent power, capable of defending itself.


	14. Chapter XIV: A House Divided

_March 18th, 2248_

In the Halls of Congress, President Tibbett prepared to give a presidential address to the nation, the first of such to be given by her since the death of President Tandi. She sat in front of a mirror in her office that she ordered to be placed in the office earlier in the day to prepare herself for all future speeches.

She wore a set of some old pre-war business wear, with a small New California Republic flag pin clipped onto her left collar, with some black heels and a flowery black church hat, that had been stored in an old family trunk from the days her family lived in the Vault.

As she looked over herself in the mirror, she was soon interrupted from her gazing by a knock on her office door.

" _Madame President, your escort is ready."_ The voice behind the door said, as Tibbett sighed to herself.

" _Thank you Windell. I'll be out soon."_ Tibbett said.

As the sound of footsteps were heard walking into the distance away from the door, Tibbett knew that Windell had left and proceeded to look herself over once again in the mirror before heading out the door to the outside of the Hall of Congress.

Once outside of the Hall of Congress, she was met by Windell who was accompanied by three other rangers.

" _Madame president, shall we get going? Crowds have already started to gather around the meeting place."_ Windell asked the president, who merely gave a nod as they began to surround her on all sides.

Shady Sands had grown since The Chosen One had been around, with some new buildings springing up across town such as the Postmasters Residence, the Bearly Bugle, and the Public Department building along with other residential homes.

As they continued to walk down the street, the sidewalks had already been crowded with residents of Shady Sands cheering on the president as she was escorted, with chants such as _"Tibbett for Prosperity,"_ or _"Tibbett, the new Tandi."_

In Tibbetts mind, the chants didn't make her proud, but rather a little sad.

Tandi was Tibbetts personal friend. And being reminded of her passing, even if it's for a congratulatory statement still weighed on her conscience. However, she maintained a public smile in the face of the chants and occasionally waved to her supporters.

The group soon approached the Downtown Church, which had a podium set in a small clearing of trees and was surrounded by NCR Police and Soldiers who were conducting basic crowd control.

All around the building, was a large crowd of citizens who took time out of their day to hear what Tibbett had to say. She personally couldn't even estimate how many people had showed up, with the crowd stretching on all sides of the building, speakers hooked up to the podium microphone would have to be used to ensure the message was heard all around the building and even down a few side streets.

" _Madame President, I believe it is your time to shine."_ Windell said, as his group had cleared a path through the crowd straight to the podium.

As Tibbett made her way towards the podium through the clearing, she couldn't help but wonder what the crowd believed she was going to say.

Maybe they thought she would be introducing some new legislation, in the glory of her predecessors' policies. Maybe they assumed, that President Tibbett would be creating a new program to spur economic development within the republic. Or maybe, for the select few. Maybe she would begin to lower the amount of regulation in the republic, and loosen laws. No matter the reason, the people seemed very keen on hearing it.

Tibbett made her way onto the wooden structure supporting the podium, and pressed her hands together on top of the podium, letting out a sigh of breath as the crowd began to calm down and look to their president.

She coughed into her hand, ensuring her voice was clear and brought her face a little closer to the microphones so they would pick up what she was about to say.

" _Good morning Shady Sands and good morning New California Republic!"_ Applause began to erupt across the crowd, and Tibbett smiled at the enthusiasm that soon began to die down and allow her to continue.

" _As you all know, these past few months we have suffered a tragic loss in our republic. A loss, that every citizen of this republic can connect with on some level and that every settlement can share history with. President Tandi…"_

Tibbett stopped for a moment, as she thought of her friend once again. The way she was no-nonsense, and would just as easily yell at one of the New California politicians if they so much as breathed the wrong air in her republic. The way how despite how old she got, she could inspire and grow in both spirit and reputation. She was, by Tibbetts standards, one of the best friends she could ever have and the best type of person to lead the New California Republic.

" _President-…Tandi, was my dear friend. One that even today, I still struggle to get over her loss. Tandi, was a great president and a great human being. This entire republic is here today, because she worked tirelessly on benefiting the average wastelander and improving the quality of life in the western regions of the wasteland to make it more comfortable and less horrific then we know the wasteland to be. When I was chosen to be her Vice President after the death of Frank Carlson, I never expected that I would eventually be elevated to the office of the presidency of our republic. I never believed I fully had the drive that Tandi did when she ran the republic for most of her life, and never once in that life complained about doing the job."_

" _This amazing woman, will be who I will base my presidency upon. I do not plan on doing a one-eighty degree turn on the measures that she introduced into the Hall of Congress, and in fact I hope to enforce the Tandi-era laws that prevent discrimination and fight against private interests in the political system. In the north, we will focus on securing the rest of California and move into the states of Oregon and Washington, fully establishing new settlements and trading routes to benefit business, commerce, and the wastelander in his struggles."_ The crowd began to applaud again, causing a slight pause in the speech before Tibbett could continue.

" _There are many threats to our republic that will need to be dealt with, before progress can be fully achieved. The sour relations with the Brotherhood of Steel and the New California Republic, has led to much tension from the NCR Caravans and Brotherhood soldiers. It is my goal that during my presidency, I will not only improve the relations between the Brotherhood of Steel and the New California Republic, but ultimately destroy any source of tension to ensure a productive and beneficial relationship for the prosperity of the New California Republic! And by the will of Tandi, the New California Republic will see the Golden Age of Prosperity for each and every citizen within its borders!"_ The crowd would erupt into chants and applause, bringing a smile to Tibbets face.

She would step away from the podium to indicate that her speech was over, and make her way over to the crowd to shake hands and mingle with some of her supporters.

As the crowd, would later began to disperse, Tibbett would be escorted back to the Hall of Congress by Windell and the other rangers, who would later go on about their day once the president was back inside.

However, when Tibbett arrived back to her office she noticed a man in Judges robes sitting in front of her desk, checking what appeared to be a watch on his right wrist.

" _Judge Dredd, what do I owe the pleasure of your visit today?"_ Tibbett asked, making her way past the judge and to a nearby table for a Nuka-Cola before returning to her desk, sitting in front of the judge.

" _Madame President. I wish to congratulate you for the speech earlier today personally, for one. However, my visit is one of importance."_ Dredd would say, placing his hands on the presidents table and looked straight into President Tibbetts eyes.

" _Madame President, in your speech you advocated attempting to improve the relationship with the Brotherhood of Steel that have indeed gone sour. However, I don't believe that is a very realistic goal."_ Dredd ended his statement with emphasis on "realistic," as he monitored the president's reaction.

" _Well, Judge. It's a good thing that your beliefs are not what drives the republics policies. As president, it is my job to pick the best course of action for our republic and I believe that the Brotherhood would be a greater asset then an enemy. They did help us with Navarro, and small other problems around the republic such as the remaining remnants of Masters Army."_ Tibbett said, taking a sip of her Nuka-Cola.

" _On the contrary Madame President, the Brotherhood are more of a destructive force in our republic then a positive one. And it sickens me to my stomach that we even give them honors of our republic, such as naming the "State of Maxson," as an honorary state within our republic. All they did for most of their history, is stay within their Lost Hills bunker while we wastelanders had to endure Masters Army and the Enclave mostly on our own. Then when the Vault Dweller and Chosen One came out to deal with the problems respectively, they even sent them on "suicide," missions only to later trust them. They're not better than the Enclave if you ask me, as although the Enclave wanted to commit genocide. The Brotherhood wanted to do absolutely nothing for anyone, but themselves. And that's worse."_ Dredd said, his tone getting angrier and more passionate.

Tibbett merely watched him as he watched her, while drinking her Nuka-Cola. This topic seemed to be affecting the judge internally and this didn't sit well with Tibbett. _"Why would he be so passionate against the Brotherhood? They may have become a pain to some citizens of the New California Republic, but none of those reasons had anything to do with the judge nor the legal system of the republic itself. Or maybe, it's personal?"_ Tibbett thought to herself.

" _Why, Judge Dredd. You seem to be quite the supporter of cold relations with the Brotherhood of Steel. May I ask why?"_ Tibbett inquired, as she placed her Nuka-Cola down on the table.

" _I don't just want cold relations with them Madame President. I want the Brotherhood ultimately eradicated from our republic, tried and shot for war-crimes, and their technology turned over to the New California Military. Something their damn Codex won't allow in a million years. We're soon to be at war with the bastards for heaven's sakes!"_ Dredd said, with hints of venom in his voice.

This tone frightened Tibbett, who had never imagined seeing the judge in this state. While on the bench, he was tough, but always seemed to maintain his temper even with the Enclave personnel. Yet…on the Brotherhood, he seemed irritated. And he ignored her question about why he wanted them gone so much. It was very unsettling to the president.

" _While I appreciate your passion on such matters of the republic, the republic will be opening up more dialogue with the Brotherhood. Is there anything else you wish to discuss judge?"_ Tibbett said, taking the last few sips of her Nuka-Cola before throwing it into a nearby trash bin.

Judge Dredd merely stood up, straitening his robe as he looked down to President Tibbett. _"No, Madame President. I believe I have discussed all I needed with you. Please, have a nice rest of your day."_ Dredd said, making his way out of the office as Tibbett began to proceed to other important matters of her republic by summoning Ambassador Terrance to her office to discuss the Brotherhood-New California Relations.

As Judge Dredd made his way through the streets, his mind rushed with thoughts about President Tibbett. _"Who does this bitch think she is? She may be the president of the republic, but that doesn't mean High Elder Jeremy Maxson will just give her what she wants. She has no idea what the codex allows and doesn't, and her idealism will lead to the destruction of the republic at its core."_

These thoughts, plagued Dredds mind on his walk away from the Hall of Congress. Although he had respect for the president, when it came to the Brotherhood it was very personal. _"I have to find a way to stop this. The Brotherhood must be stopped…"_ Dredd said to himself, as he made his way inside of one of the newly built residences and shut the door behind him.


	15. Chapter XV: Rumbles and Tumbles

_March 22nd, 2248_

" _Ah, Las Vegas. Or as you all seem to love to call it, New Vegas."_ Washington would take a big breath of the air and exhale, smiling.

" _You're a weird man governor. Insisting on calling things as they once were."_ Katelyn would giggle, seeing Washington's facial expression of confidence.

During the past few days, the two had been quite busy. After surveying Nipton, they then made their way to Searchlight where they discovered a pre-war supply of radioactive material, that had been sitting within the Searchlight fire station since the days of the great war. Washington made a note of this, to later send a team to relocate the material and ensure that it is properly disposed of. After Searchlight, they would make their way to Novac and be met by the local sheriff assigned to Novac, who would inform them on everything going on within the town.

Although all of this was well and good, Washington personally decided to inspect the motel, shops, and talk to various other residents to get their opinion on how life in Novac was progressing and if there was something that could be done to improve it. Once the two left Novac, they proceeded to New Vegas, arriving at the Freeside East Gate and greeted by the Kings who would provide an escort for the two to the gates of The Strip.

" _Well, this should be easy. They make money by gambling, and the town is controlled by your average unseen manager. What else is there to mark down?"_ Katelyn asked, as Washington would proceed onto the strip.

On the strip, the people paid the two no real attention. Most were either stumbling out of the casinos drunk, while the rest were attempting to get into the casinos. The streets were patrolled by the remaining securitrons that were not destroyed when the strip was assimilated into the empire, who mostly stayed close to the various entrances and exits.

" _I believe there is a lot more to this then what meets the eye. I would like to visit the casinos personally, and see what I see."_ Washington said, beginning to walk to his first casino Gomorrah.

Once inside, a man at the counter would look at the two and sigh. _"All weapons need to be checked in with the desk. It's not allowed on the floor."_ Washington would approach the front desk, placing down his laser pistol as Katelyn would shake her head.

" _I'm not giving them my weapon. I'll wait outside."_ Katelyn said, before heading outside to stand near the door.

After turning in his weapons, he would head out onto the main floor and notice the other gamblers needlessly spending their hard-earned caps on a rigged machine. He took note of the security within the casino, consisting of various guards of the Omertas who seemed to keep a menacing presence over everyone who entered the casino, except for the governor who was not at all threatened by their piercing gazes.

"Alright, seems to be a rough gang running this show. Standard gambling, standard patrol patterns, piercing gazes." Washington would take out his notepad, writing in detail all he was seeing as he made his way around the lobby. Occasionally he would catch glimpses of the Gomorrah guards eyeing him, but soon proceed to whatever else they were doing.

Once he finished on the inside, he would make his way out into the courtyard and quickly would be approached by a scantily clad woman. _"Hey baby, how about you and me go into one of these tents for some-…drinks?"_ Washington would pay her no attention, merely marking down the experience before looking up to her.

" _How much are you paid to do this sweetie?"_ Washington asked. The woman would appear to be insulted, lowering her charm in favor of discontent.

" _Why should I tell you, buster? Do you want a good time, or not?"_ As soon as Washington prepared to respond after writing down his observations, he would hear a loud smack and look up to see the girl on the ground with one of the Omerta guards lowering his hand.

" _You don't talk that way to anyone here, you little bitch. You make the sale, or you go to hell. Is that clear?"_ The girl would shake her head yes, with tears dropping from her cheek onto the ground as the man would turn to Washington.

" _I apologize for my, employee…She isn't fully used to her new role here."_ Washington would look at the man in disgust, crossing his arms.

" _Apologize to that woman, this instant. You should be ashamed of yourself for hitting someone weaker then you."_ Washington demanded, looking the man directly in the eye as they stared at each other.

" _You don't tell the Omerta how to run shit. Either you can shut the hell up and enjoy your stay, or we can make your stay limited."_ The thug would shoot back, showing off his gritted teeth to Washington.

" _Well, if you won't apologize to that woman. I think I need to make an example of you."_ Washington said, placing his notepad back into his backpack.

The thug would begin to laugh, turning around to some of his other guards, _"Hey guys, dickwad here says he's going to make an example of me!"_ The other guards would begin to laugh, as the thug would turn back to Washington who would deliver a powerful slap onto his cheek.

As the thug would rub his cheek, his eyes would be full of rage and anger as he would rush towards Washington and tackle him onto the ground, throwing punches at his face.

" _Fuck you! Die in a river you piece of shit!"_ The thug would shout, with Washington blocking most of his blows and rolling both of them over for Washington to begin to dominate the fight, striking swiftly.

The thug would be unprepared for the maneuver, attempting to block the swings by Washington with little effect. The other guards rushed over, pulling Washington off the man, with blood seeping onto the ground from the guard bleeding from his mouth as he stood back up.

" _You're dead! I'll teach you to mess with an Omerta!"_ The thug said. Washington was being held back by the other thugs holding his arms, as the thug came close to him and delivered a blow straight into his stomach, taunting Washington as he kneeled over in pain, yet still held up by his arms.

After about four more blows, the guards would let go of Washington and allow him to fall down to the ground, as the thug would proceed to deliver kicks to various other parts of his body.

" _You're weak. Did you really think you could win?!"_ The thug said, taunting Washington even more as he struggled to get up.

 _As Washington finally managed to stand up,_ a shot would be heard throughout the courtyard, with everyone looking around to see where it came from.

On top of the building on the roof, would stand a lone ranger carrying her magnum revolver that she would begin to lower from the air, looking down at the thugs.

" _That's quite enough boys. I think we've had enough fun for one day._ " Katelyn said, pointing the revolver down towards the courtyard thugs.

The Omerta guards were not thrilled, and prepared to begin opening fire on Katelyn until Big Sal exited the casino.

" _What the hell is going on out here? What's with the shots?"_ The moment Big Sal asked his question, it was rather clear he already had the answer.

He saw Washington, rubbing away some blood from his nose and the Desert Ranger holding her revolver which was aimed at some of his men. As he surveyed the scene, Washington looked to Big Sal and chuckled.

" _May I assume that you are the one in charges of these men?"_ Washington said, as Big Sal would look to him with a deadly gleam in his eye.

" _What's it to you? And why the hell are you causing trouble in my casino? I should have you shot for this."_ Big Sal retorted, not looking happy about the situation at all.

" _It is quite important to me, as I need it for my census. Now, if you would be so kind to help me out with it, I can be on my way."_ Washington said.

Big Sal walked directly to Washington, grabbing him by his collar as he pulled him close to his face and stared deep into his eyes.

" _Listen here pinhead, I don't give a damn about your or your damn survey. We're here to make money, and right now you're really hindering my profits. I believe your stay in this casino is over."_ Big Sal said, personally beginning to drag Washington back to the front of the casino.

As he reached the front door of Gomorrah, he would feel a barrel of what he presumed to be a pistol pressed into the back of his skull, causing him stop in his tracks.

" _Let him go, or I splatter your brains across this freshly polished casino floor. I'm sure your customers would love to walk into this casino to be greeted by your dead corpse."_

Big Sal immediately let go of Washington, who turned around to see Ranger Katelyn holding her revolver to the back of Big Sals head. The remaining floor guards of the casino also had their weapons raised at the ranger, but didn't dare get close in fear of her pulling the trigger and killing their boss.

" _Jeez, what the hell is it you guys want from here anyway. This is a lot for a god damn survey."_ Big Sal grinned, but felt terrified inside of the gun pointed at his head.

" _Easy. Tell me all I ask, and I'll be on my way. Me and my ranger friend. Refuse, and I doubt you'll even have a business anymore."_ Washington said, holding his notepad and pen.

For the next ten minutes, Big Sal listened to Washingtons questions as he gave the answers, with Katelyn nor the Omerta thugs dropping their weapons from each other the entire time. After all of Washingtons inquiries were answered, he simply looked at Big Sal and smiled.

" _Thank you for your time, Mr. Sal. I'll be back if I need anything else. Oh, and try to be more friendly next time. We don't want this casino to close down for sudden renovations, now do we?"_ Washington smirked, as Big Sal kept his mouth shut.

" _Katelyn, let him go. I believe I got what I need and I still got two more casinos to visit."_ Katelyn began to lower the weapon from Big Sals head, and he turned around to look who had taken him hostage personally.

" _You little bitch. If I see you again, I'm going to put a bullet in your head, you got me?"_ Big Sal said, with an angry tone.

" _Aw, love you two hun. And next time I see you, I'll drown you at the bottom of Lake Mead."_ Ranger Katelyn blew a kiss to him, as Big Sal groaned.

" _Get them their fucking weapons, and get them the HELL OUT! If they come back in here, shoot them!"_ Big Sal yelled, storming away from the two as he made his way out onto the floor and disappeared.

Washington would be given back his weapons, and the two would swiftly be escorted outside.

" _Nice job governor, you got an entire crime family pissed at you. And this is only the first casino."_ Katelyn giggled, as she crossed her arms at a sighing Washington.

" _You know, I can never tell if you're laughing with me, or against me."_ Washington said, looking to Katelyn who would begin to laugh harder.

" _Both! It's funny to see the situations you get yourself in, but at the same time you do it on purpose. You're quite a guy. A failed bad-boy at that."_ Katelyn said, her giggling beginning to subside.

Washington just shook his head, and began to walk towards The Tops casino with Katelyn following behind. Although Washington was not fazed by Katelyn's comment, it did make him think deeper about his past actions to now. He was a member of the Enclave, an organization dedicated to rebuilding America through genocidal means.

Yet, no matter how feared the Enclave were at one point. Washington couldn't see himself as someone who struck fear in the hearts of his adversaries. He only had intermediate combat skills for small scale fighting, but nothing of an advanced nature like most Rangers and Stormtroopers had as he was never one to rely on strength to solve his problems.

Maybe this is what made Washington a leader, in that he could think through problems in a non-violent way, but at the same time this trait could lead them into some hot water like in Gomorrah. Regardless of the reason, Washington needed to come to terms that his combat skills are lacking compared to other season fighters and he would need to be capable in both intellect and strength in order to lead his new empire if it's going to survive. As his thoughts came to an end, they reached the door of The Tops casino, where a similar but friendlier process of turning in weapons took place and Washington proceeded to gather information for his census.

* * *

 **Authors Note:**

Really sorry for being gone an entire month, but I am still going to write this story. For those of you wondering when we're going to see more action scenes, nation building, etc. I assure you those parts are coming and I'm excited for the time I get to write up those scenes. This is a story that I don't want to leave anything to suggestion, and wish to fully flesh out certain aspects to ensure you understand why this is going on, what's going on, and how this affects the overall story. Just a small spoiler though, we will be getting into some good nation building elements in the incoming chapters, but like the famous saying "Rome wasn't built in a day." We'll be progressing through the timeline and handling side plots and other elements that will ultimately come together to form the end points of our story when we got to it. Stay involved, stay updated, and stay open. I hope you're all enjoying the story so far, and I hope to not make you all wait for a month before a new update. See you soon!


	16. Chapter XVI: New Assignments

_July 20th, 2248_

In the early hours of the afternoon, Washington sat at his desk going over the latest reports that were brought to his attention. Ever since he and Katelyn had grown a little closer since the expedition, she was becoming much and much less hostile to the presence of his new enclave being in the Mojave, and in turn more of the desert rangers were more accepting of them as well. Washington used this in his favor, as once he returned to Hidden Valley he was greeted by Colonel Kreger who had informed him of the completion of the training for the first batch of recruits with another already underway. This was great news to Washington, but soon Kreger expressed the need to find more non-commissioned officers to help guide these new soldiers.

Washington agreed with Kreger, but made a rather unconventional choice for finding the NCO's required. Rather than recruit from within the ranks, he assigned the new recruits into four squads of ten and had them deploy into various towns. Their sergeant would be the local sheriff of the town, who Washington had earlier assigned the desert rangers to do. In Washingtons mind, the desert rangers would serve as excellent mentors to the young troops in tactics, leadership, and loyalty. And, because the rangers also served the governor, could recommend promotions for the men under their command to soon produce their own sergeants from within the ranks.

Once the towns of Boulder City, Westside, Searchlight, and Novac were fully secured, it would only be a matter of time until he could secure every town in the Mojave with a small garrison force of ten in addition to the desert rangers. Over the next few months he expanded into Nelson, Goodsprings, Nipton, Mojave Outpost, Primm, Cottonwood, and Freeside with his army of two hundred and forty-five men.

Once he believed his major settlements were secure, he needed to step it up. He needed to ensure that the major landmarks of the land were under the control of the Enclave, so they could begin their future domestic projects. He ordered Colonel Kreger to occupy Hoover Dam and HELIOS One, establishing them as outposts for the Enclave and staffed with twenty soldiers each. Washington also ordered that McCarran International Airport be made an official fort of the Enclave, renamed to "Fort McCarran." And staffed with forty soldiers. Southern Nevada Correctional Center was also ordered to be occupied, with a garrison of fifteen troops to act as a new prison complex and renamed "Enclave Correctional Institution, Mojave."

At this point, the Mojave was pretty much entirely secure with just a few exceptions. A small checkpoint of five troopers was set up in the north-western portions of the Mojave, to watch the Super Mutant traffic enroute to Jacobstown and to monitor caravans into the Mojave. Washington, now only having thirty-five troops left not on assignment decided to also relocate his personal office from Hidden Valley to more "appropriate," living conditions for a governor. He wasn't all about luxary, being brought up in a military family and living for a time on the Enclave Oil Rig. However, he knew that he would need to impress future diplomats and such from across the Wasteland at some point. And a highly secured bunker was probably not the best place to do that.

During one of his meetings with Robert House, House had informed Washington of an old resort just east of McCarran that he believed would suit the governor perfectly. Washington had been reluctant initially to accept the offer, but now that the times have changed he decided to give it a chance. Leaving with a garrison of twenty, he and his troops made their way to the resort in late June, leaving Colonel Kreger to attend to things in Hidden Valley with the remaining fifteen troops.

When Washington arrived the resort, he was rather amazed at how well kept the place was. The stairs were intact, there were plenty of rooms for guards and guests alike, a balcony, and offices. On the perimeter, it had a rather long fence that extended along the perimeter. In a way, it reminded him of the stories told to him on the Enclave oil rig about an old pre-war relic known as the White House. Although no-where near the exact glamour, it was still very pleasant and suited his purposes nicely.

Washington wasted no time in initiating a cleanup of the property. Furniture was re-arranged, cleaned, and dusted. Walls were scrubbed, floors polished and cleaned, until the house almost looked brand new. After a week of fierce cleaning, all was done and he knew now was a perfect time to call a meeting with his council and had one of his men summon them all to the new mansion. After at least a week of waiting, his council had arrived. Colonel Kreger, Doctor Henry, and Quincy all sat down within Washington's new office, awaiting their governor to enter.

As the door cracked upon, they all turned to see a smile on Washington's face as he closed the door back and proceeded to his seat.

"Gentlemen, thank you all for coming. Although, we will need to work on timing." Washington said, as the rest of the council shrugged their shoulders.

" _Anyway, I called this meeting today to discuss your new projects. As you all know, we have rapidly expanded across the Mojave with every major settlement being patrolled by our new troops and the occupation of Hoover Dam and the like. All of this is great, but we need to think bigger. First, I want to talk about the future of the army. Colonel, I believe you may be able to provide the insight I require on this matter."_ Washington said.

" _Oh, yes governor. All the towns are fully secure, with the desert rangers providing additional training to the new recruits along with mentoring. Hoover Dam, HELIOS One, and Fort McCarran, have also been secured and we are relocating supplies and resources to staff such installations. Our border watch patrols are also reporting on caravans entering and exiting the Mojave, giving us a sense of the trading that goes on with external partners and we have seen positive responses from the locals about our ongoing protection."_ Kreger said.

" _Thank you, colonel, however I do wish to relocate our headquarters of the region from Hidden Valley to Fort McCarran. What is your opinion on this?"_ Washington inquired.

" _Well, it would be smarter. Center of the Mojave, highly defensible if we can get some kind of a wall constructed around it. Large enough to act as a main supply hub. However, I hope this means we are not abandoning Hidden Valley."_ Kreger said, as Washington merely chuckled.

"Of course not colonel, Hidden Valley is a crown jewel. I merely wish to repurpose. I want to keep Hidden Valley as a location for Basic Training, but also use it for research projects. And speaking of research projects…" Washington switches his gaze from Kreger to Henry.

" _Doctor Henry, how have you and Doctor Schreber been getting along now?"_ Washington asked.

Henry merely rolled his eyes after hearing Schreber, as he sighed.

" _No, we haven't. He simply does his work, and I do mine. I deliver the orders, and that's it. I can't stand that guy."_ Henry groaned, rubbing his eyelids with his fingers.

" _I understand. However, I do have a solution. Doctor Henry, I want you to relocate to Hoover Dam. I need you to figure out how to get it working, and if it can truly serve us a purpose. Doctor Schreber is to be relocated to HELIOS One. You two will work on getting these facilities up and running, and top efficiency."_ Washing said, mumbling under his breath how happy he would be once those two are no-where near each other.

" _I fully agree to this, sir. I can't wait to be sent out there."_ Henry rejoiced, happy that he would be separated from that lunatic they called a doctor.

" _Good, and now to Quincy. You and Raul are going to be stationed in Fort McCarran. We need to get our Vertibird fleet back up and running, and that means you'll need a true airfield to do that. You have the plans to build them, and from what I hear there are plenty of old transport planes left there from the pre-war days to scavenge some parts. Are you two up to the task?"_ Washington asked, gazing at Quincy.

" _Yes, sir. I believe so. We'll get our Vertibird fleet back in no time."_ Quincy said with enthusiasm.

" _I appreciate your enthusiasm Quincy, but I must ask another question. The new armor I asked you to work on back in January. What have you come up with?"_ Washington asked.

" _Well, sir. We haven't been able to get anything like power armor, but we were able to salvage a few suits of Combat Armor and give it additional reinforcement to the head and legs. It's nothing special, but will get the job done for now."_ Quincy said.

" _That's more than enough for now Quincy. You've done amazing work for us, and I'm glad to have you with us. Oh, colonel that reminds me."_ Washington turned from Quincy back to Kreger.

" _We have a total of two-hundred and forty-five troops, with these being combat troops. I need some of those troops to be converted into engineers. Preferably the entire next batch of recruits, and then stop the recruiting process entirely. They should be able to know how to maintain, repair, and construct new objects and items. They're going to be of wonderful use to the next part of my plan." Washington said, as Kreger nodded._

" _We might need to come up with a classification system at some point once we achieve better recruits, and new sergeants. However, that is a conversation for another day. I shall do as you request, sir."_ Kreger said.

" _Excellent. We still have much work to do in the Mojave. Building the army is simply step one. Before I dismiss this council, are there any concerns we wish to bring up."_ Washington asked, looking around the room.

"I do, sir. A rather huge concern." Kreger said.

" _Do tell, colonel."_ Washington said.

" _A while ago, we discovered a pre-war military base called Nellis, a bit north-east of Vegas. Although our scouts didn't get too close, we have heard rumors from the locals about the place. Rumors that, make me rather uncomfortable sir."_ Kreger said.

Washington, looking directly into Kreger's eyes could sense his displeasure with whatever was going on at Nellis and leaned back in his chair.

" _What exactly is going on at Nellis, that makes you uncomfortable colonel? Is it a band of raiders, or some new entity we have yet to encounter?"_ Washington asked.

" _I cannot be sure, sir. The locals state that anyone who tries to approach the airbase is bombarded by artillery. And some of our troops have reported hearing artillery fire originating from the base, but no one has dared to take a closer look. Locals call the people who occupy the base the Boomers."_ Kreger said.

" _Artillery?! Who in the hell has access to that in this wasteland? Nellis is a Air Force base right?"_ Washington asked, cocking his head to the side as he awaited an answer.

" _Yes, sir. Nellis Air Force Base. I have no idea why artillery may be on that base, but I do know that somebody or something up there knows how to fire it and isn't afraid to use it."_ Kreger said.

" _Oh, no. This will never do. Not in the slightest. I want the road to Nellis patrolled, and blocked. Nobody goes into Nellis, and nobody comes out without my express permission. When I get more manpower, I will personally have Daisy fly me down there in a Vertibird along with some Stormtroopers to investigate for ourselves. That artillery belongs to us, and so does that base. We cannot allow these maniacs to just have them."_ Washington warned.

" _Yes, sir. I shall order a blockade immediately. Although, the strike force will of course take time to organize, sir."_ Kreger said.

" _I am aware of that colonel. Just get it done. I'll be awaiting for the training of the new troops, and I'll head out with the Stormtroopers. This will not stand for too much longer."_ Washington said.

Washington soon ended the meeting, with the council returning to their positions and prepared to redeploy to the new fortifications. Washington however, merely stood on his balcony overlooking much of the Mojave.

" _Nellis Air Force Base will become our property. Whether the inhabitants want it too, or not." Washington said, crossing his arms behind his back as the sun began to set._


	17. Chapter XVII: High Ambitions

_August 10th, 2248_

Summer in the Mojave, almost made you wish for a nuclear winter. At least, that is what citizens and travelers would say when confronted with the soring heat of the Mojave in the summertime. It was also during these intense months that merchants made high profits on bottled purified water, which wastelanders would buy with no hard feelings on the artificially raised price.

In Fort McCarran, enclave soldiers assigned to patrol the perimeter were equipped with multiple water canteens filled with purified water in them to allow for lengthy patrol assignments in the scorching heat. It wasn't a huge change, as some still collapsed as heat causalities, but it did indeed lower the risk.

The United Settlements Army was still in it's infancy, and Washington knew major changes would need to take place across the board at some point to make it the deadliest force in the wasteland, but a very effective force. The army was only staffed with infantry, with no support units and limited logistical structures. Most soldiers had to scavenge for ammo for their Cowboy Repeaters as there simply was not enough to go around at the base, and equipment such as water had to be obtained through their paychecks privately. If that wasn't bad enough, due to the lack of medical staff all medical care had to be done by either experienced enclave troopers whose knowledge on advanced procedures were limited, or seeked privately.

These concerns were still being worked out, with Kreger in the process of creating a new command structure to introduce into the Army within a few weeks to attempt to fix these problems.

Washington however, did not travel to Fort McCarran to survey the conditions of the military. He had travelled to the fort to prepare for his operation to Nellis Air Force Base to hopefully silence the artillery that had been pounding travelers. The last batch of soldiers trained at Hidden Valley was completed on August 6th, and the stormtroopers were ordered to accompany the governor to the air base.

Although only six stormtroopers would accompany the governor, Washington felt that whoever was operating the guns inside the facility were amateurs that would not be able to put up a real fight against well trained, power armor clad soldiers. As he waited in the office, he was soon approached by a stormtrooper holding a plasma rifle.

" _General, everything is ready on our side. Are you prepared to depart?"_ The stormtrooper asked.

Washington merely nodded, making his way out of the office followed by the stormtrooper as they made their way out onto the tarmac to a Vertibird and five other stormtroopers standing in formation.

Washington entered the Vertibird first, with his men following him after until all six were seated and the doors were closed.

" _Ladies and Gentlemen, this is your captain Daisy Whiteman welcoming you aboard Air Enclave with non-stop service to Nellis Air Force Base. Our flight time will be approximately five minutes, and I would like to remind you to turn off all electrical devices while in flight. Please remember this is a non-smoking flight, and to enjoy the ride."_ Daisy said over the intercom, chuckling as she signed off.

As the Vertibird began to life off from Fort McCarran, Washington couldn't help but realize this would only be the third time he's actually been on a Vertibird, let alone by conscious while on one. He had rode on a Vertibird from the Enclave Oil Rig to Camp Navarro, and then from Camp Navarro to the Mojave Wasteland to which he was unconscious. As he looked down out of a small window on the craft, he could see the buildings and attractions of Vegas in which he was passing over. He took in the sight, giving a pleasurable sigh as he leaned back into his seat.

As Daisy said, the flight didn't take long and soon after taking off from Fort McCarran they had already reached Nellis Air Force Base.

" _Daisy, do you have eyes on that artillery?"_ Washington asked, seeing Daisy pushing buttons on her console.

" _Yes, general. They're lined up along the runway. Shall I move to destroy?"_ Daisy asked.

" _Negative, land near one of those guns on the runway and we'll see if we can have a talk with whoever is here. Best to try and capture these guns, then destroy them."_ Washington said.

Daisy did as instructed, taking the Vertibird low towards on of the guns until setting the Vertibird gently onto the cratered runway. Upon touchdown, the stormtroopers would begin to make their way out of the board in an orderly fashion and set up a three-hundred and sixty degree perimeter before their general exited.

" _General, we have movement coming for us. They seem to be heavily armed."_ A stormtrooper said, as Washington looked to see the approaching mass.

A group of humans, wearing what appeared to be a Vault-Tec jumpsuit and a brownish jacket armed with missile launchers and other small arms approached the Vertibird. There were at max ten of them, who seemed to be led by a woman.

As they approached the Vertibird, the woman began to speak.

" _Who trespasses on the lands of the Boomers? More specifically, where did you get that flying machine stranger?"_ She said.

General Washington went passed the perimeter, standing not far from the woman as he crossed his arms.

" _Ma'am, I would ask you the same question almost. The Mojave is under the control of the Enclave, and this base is considered a part of our territory. However, we are not here to force you away, rather to see if we can work something out."_ Washington said.

The woman looked over Washington, dressed in his rather strange black uniform and guarded by warriors she also had no experience with. Who were these people she had come across, and how do they know not only how to fly the machine in which they came here with, but how do they have what appears to be advanced armor and weapons. The question intrigued her, and terrified her, but she felt she had to persist.

" _We're the boomers. And we do not take orders from anyone, but our own. You and this, Enclave may or may not control the Mojave. But this place is our home. However, we may be able to work something out as you say. What are your demands?"_ Washington looked over the base, taking note of the hangers, buildings, and gun emplacements before responding to Pearl.

" _I want control of this base transferred to the Enclave, along with it's weapons and stockpiles."_ Washington said.

" _No! We will not give you our weapons and stockpiles. We fought for these, and we have the right to keep them."_ The woman shot back in an angry tone.

" _An American patriot! I see you really care about your second amendment rights, and that is very admirable ma'am. Every American has the right to self-defense, and we fully agree with you keeping your weapons. However, many of these weapons on this base are not meant for your protection and would serve a better purpose in the Enclave. Surely, there is something that you want in order to make this reality."_ Washington said.

" _Your flying machine. If we can have it, and you teach us how to use it. We will submit to your Enclave if you promise to protect us and not remove us from this base. And if possible, help us with agricultural production to help us become self-sufficient."_ She said.

Washington thought for a moment. He wasn't in anyway turning his only Vertibird over to the "Boomers," however he did have a much better deal in mind.

"I'm sorry, but I'm not giving you my Vertibird. However, I do have a much better deal I believe you'll be interested in. Instead of giving you a Vertibird, I will commission a few of your members as pilots in the Enclave, with training from our most senior pilot. They will pilot some of our new Vertibirds coming into production soon in order to serve the Enclave. This, on top of the agricultural assistance and protection. What do you say?" Washington said.

" _Deal. You must train us as pilots first in your flying machine or Vertibird as you call it, and deliver on your additional Vertibirds for them to fly. Once that's done, the base is yours like you requested. I forgot to ask, what exactly is your name?"_ She asked.

" _Washington. I'm the governor of the Mojave, and leader of the Enclave. People just refer to me as The Governor mostly. Who are you exactly?"_ Washington asked.

" _Pearl, my name is Pearl. Leader of the Boomers."_ Pearl said.

" _Well Pearl, I am going to make good on my promise. I will be leaving the Stormtroopers and my most trusted pilot Daisy to begin training you as pilots within a few days. All you have to do now, is stop firing artillery at travelers."_ Washington said.

Pearl nodded, and soon Washington was transported away from the Air Force base back to his mansion. Now that the Boomers were going to get on board with the Enclave's vision of things, he only had internal disturbances within the ranks to deal with. The Army needed better logistics and support, the Mojave economy needed to be built, and the exterior needed to be secured from outside threats. It was a big job, and one he knew he could not accomplish without some outside help. However, for now, he was content. And hoped, that with the new developments he would be able to begin his various programs in the Mojave with little trouble.


	18. Chapter XVIII: Connecting Dots

_August 24th, 2248_

The logistical problems within the United Settlements Army were really becoming an issue that needed to be solved with decisive action. The decentralized system of logistics, of soldiers simply being left to fend for themselves with their own personal money has led to drops in morale, and without a solution would inevitably lead to a reduction in readiness that will impact all future military operations. This was something Washington refused to allow any longer.

Washington knew that he would need to centralize the logistical structure of the United Settlements Army in order for it to be effective and self-sufficient, even when the state was not. In order to achieve this goal, he knew he needed to start small. On August 12th, Washington ordered Colonel Kreger to purchase massive amounts of food, ammunition, and other important supplies from various towns and travelling merchants from their stockpiles of money from the casinos, and to have them transported to Fort McCarran. Once transported, Fort McCarran would have a designated "Quartermaster," who would ensure that appropriate amounts of food and supplies are shipped out to all facilities under the control of the United Settlements Army, effectively making Fort McCarran the supply hub of the entire army.

Military installations would also have a designated "quartermaster," to keep track of the supplies and provisions of their bases in order to ship the supply orders to Fort McCarran, to receive them a few days later. If Washington was correct, this would centralize the militaries logistics in terms of distribution, but would cause a dependence on merchants and show owners to ensure the army was taken care of. This was a problem to deal with, but until Washington could make the Mojave as self-sufficient as he pleased, it would have to do.

Another thing on Washingtons agenda was how to deal with the New California Republic. Lately, the republic has mostly been working on domestic projects from the rumors spread across the Mojave, but he knew it would only be a matter of time before they begin to assimilate new settlements and land into their growing nation, and the Mojave would serve as a very suitable expansion option considering its immense value in technological advancement.

This was something Washington feared, but didn't wish to openly show it. The Enclave may have one of the most technologically advanced group in its glory days, but ever since the destruction of the Enclave Oil Rig, most of the technologies concerning agriculture, industry, and other valuable information was lost. And even if it wasn't lost, the Enclave were so focused on offensive weaponry that those subjects were ignored for so long to question if they would've made a real difference if they weren't lost. And would most likely have forced them to attempt to go to the New California Republic for advice on how to fix their problems.

This was going to be a challenge for Washington to overcome, as in order to make the Mojave as self-sufficient as he wanted, the Enclave would need knowledge of agriculture and industrial expertise to make that dream a reality. However, this "was," going to be a challenge if it hadn't been for the discovery of Mr. House in New Vegas.

Mr. House, being one of the pre-war business types knew quite a lot about management and industry, and if luck pulls through, possibly some things about agriculture that could prove to be of immense value to the empire, and Washington was all too keen to ensure that Mr. House would be on board with this project.

As Washington arrived in New Vegas, he made his way to the Lucky Thirty-Eight casino flanked by two guards, and took the elevator upstairs in order to meet with his new "associate." As the elevator came to a complete stop and the doors opened up to show the huge glass windows that reflected in every direction of the Mojave, Washington made his way in front of the giant screen with the image of Mr. House glitching in and out.

" _Ah, governor Washington. What is the pleasure of this visit? I heard you were having some meager supply problems. Did you come to ask for me assistance?"_ House said.

"Mr. House, we did have some problems in terms of logistics, but they are in the process of being fixed and upgraded to meet the growing demands of our army." Washington said, placing his hands behind his back and interlocking his fingers.

" _Excellent. Then, what do I owe the honor of this visit? Shall I order the Chairman on some other frivolous adventure to destroy an enemy that doesn't really pose a threat? Or, is it another attempt to bully away more territory from New Vegas?"_ House said.

" _The hostilities will not be necessary, my dear Mr. House. I came here seeking your wisdom on a matter of significant importance and I believe you are the best person for the task."_ Washington smiled.

" _Significant importance, you say? I'm intrigued, do tell what this matter is and how it concerns me?"_ House said.

" _Well, you see although the Enclave has the capabilities military to take back the Wasteland, our economics are a bit, underdeveloped. And I believe you are the man who will be able to help fix this minor problem."_ Washington said.

" _Hum…you're asking for my help on a matter I actually am concerned with myself. I can see why you came to me, as your only other alternative is to go to the New California Republic and they may just assimilate this place into their republic and you'll be out of power."_ House said.

Washington stayed quiet, simply awaiting a more positive response from Mr. House rather than admit to his personal fear of having the New California Republic swoop into the Mojave and take it for themselves, ending all goals and ambitions of restoring the United States of America to its former glory.

" _I'll do it on one condition, governor."_ House said.

" _What is your condition, Mr. House?"_ Washington said.

" _I want to be made an official member of your government. I want a legitimate government position, recognition of that government position, and bargaining power to weigh in on major decisions of the empire. Preferably something that deals with the economy of the United Settlements. If you give me this, I will assist in the development of industry and agriculture in the United Settlements."_ House said.

" _Well, he sure didn't waste time."_ Washington said to himself in his head.

He wanted a council position. An actual council position, that would allow him to be of equal footing with Colonel Kreger, Doctor Henry, and Quincy whenever they meet together. Washington had to weigh his options. Mr. House was pre-war, has the experience, and expertise to really be an asset to the empire. Mr. House also is possible the only person who can accomplish what needs to be accomplished, without relying on entities such as the New California Republic or private merchants who will want to gain economic power over the Mojave. Yet, he was not a full member of the Enclave. He had no body to speak of, no knowledge of the Enclaves history or inner struggles, a true outsider in every sense of the word. Yet, despite all this, he was the most qualified person for the job and the survival of the Enclave may depend on him.

" _Alright. You'll officially be made my economic advisor. I will introduce you to the other members of the council whenever we have our next meeting. In the meantime, I guess I should give inform you of what I need done."_ Washington said.

Washington and Mr. House would begin to discuss various aspects of the Enclaves role and dream, as well as the specific tasks that must be accomplished here in the Mojave in order to spread. Their conversation would go for hours, hammering out various details and strategies to prepare the Mojave for its future role. Only problem was, did anyone know what the future role of the Mojave was?

* * *

 _August 30th, 2248_

New Reno was regarded as the biggest little city in the world, controlled by the Mordino and Bishop families respectively, followed by the Wrights and Van Graffs. New Reno had joined the New California Republic in 2245, and is one of the republics most powerful states with a good amount of political power in the NCR Senate.

Judge Dredd recognized the amount of influence these crime lords can hold over the republic and can thus serve as either an obstacle or enabler of the president's agenda.

Unlike most presidential systems of the old world, the New California Republic's system was very unique in how it functions. The New California was split into three branches of government, being the Executive, Judicial, and Legislative. The Executive was led by the President of the New California, along with the Vice President and council. The Legislative was the NCR Congress, with the Judicial being the Supreme Court of the New California Republic in similar structure to the pre-war United States.

The real difference however, lies in the practice of power from this government. Unlike in the pre-war times where any citizen of the United States can run for president representing a certain party, all candidates are pre-selected by the parties represented in the NCR Congress and those candidates are voted on by popular vote. This is very similar to how parliamentary systems operate, rather than how presidential systems operate. Another core difference is even the parliamentary model of the pre-war days do not fully explain the uniqueness of the NCR government, as instead of the majority party in the NCR setting policy that the leader must follow to the party line, the NCR President elected from the Congress holds the most power in how the development of the state will function.

This means, that although a specific party within the Congress gets to choose who they will run for president, they cannot make their choice fully represent their interests and most of the time become subordinate to whatever president happens to gain power. This system, is what Judge Dredd wishes to use to his advantage in trying to take power in the republic and why he is visiting New Reno.

Dredd knew that with President Tibbett in power, she would continue advocating better relations with groups such as the Brotherhood, and other "undesirables," that would ultimately lead to the destruction of the republic. Something he was willing to kill for, to protect.

He made his way down the crime ridden streets of Reno, ignoring the various acts of debauchery and illicit activities he shuddered to think about. He eventually made his way inside of a Casino called "The Shark Club," taking a seat at the bar.

" _What'll you have?"_ The bartender asked him, with Dredd nodding "no."

" _No drinks, I need to see Mr. Bishop. Tell him Judge D. is looking for him."_ Dredd said, watching the bartender disappear for a while only to return to the bar.

" _Follow me."_ The bartender said, disappearing again from behind the bar as Dredd would follow him. They would make their way up two flights of stairs, finally reaching the penthouse level of the casino.

Inside the penthouse, Dredd would be lead into a room with a pool table a few chairs and two bookshelves, along with two guards who would be watching a man play pool.

" _Mr. Bishop, he's here."_ The bartender would say, as the man would shoot another ball into a hole before looking up.

" _Good, leave us. All of you. I'm going to talk to him, alone."_ Bishop said.

The room would clear, leaving only Bishop and Dredd in the room together as Bishop would set his pool stick down on the table and sit himself ontop.

" _What can I do for you judge? Not every day we get a celebrity like you down in the town of Reno."_ Bishop joked.

" _And I don't plan on staying long. I have an offer that I believe your crime family may be interested in."_ Dredd said, crossing his arms together.

" _Crime family? That hurts, Dredd. This is simply business, one that runs effectively and with zero opposition. And anyone who has a problem with that is…dealt with. No crimes here judge, just businessmen making a living."_ Bishop said.

" _Right…alright buisinessman, well let's make a deal."_ Dredd said, but was stopped by Bishop waving a finger at him.

A little boy, no older than seven rushed into the room, heading straight for Bishop who openly embraced this young boy, but soon looked down at him in a scolding manner.

"Son, what are you doing here? You know this is where daddy conducts business." Bishop said, with the boy looking up at him with a rather neutral look.

Not long after this interruption, a woman wearing a Golden-Gecko skin dress who would come into the room and sigh upon seeing the child.

" _Oh my, Jimmy! Come back here, you need to get ready for bed!"_ The woman would say.

The child would shake his head, "no." And then rush out of the room heading for another area of the building, to be followed by the woman.

" _Leslie! Get that child under control! He's ruining me!"_ Bishop would shout out, with Dredd simply chuckling to himself.

" _My goddamn child, I swear I don't even remember having him and my wife swears it's mine. Science must be fucking with me."_ Bishop said.

" _Mr. Bishop, the deal?"_ Dredd said.

" _Spit it out then Judge, you're wasting my time here, not the other way around."_ Bishop said.

" _I know the Bishop family owns a powerful seat in the NCR Congress, and I know your efforts to get prostitution and gambling legal in the republic has been a fight you've been struggling to get passed. What if I said, I could help you out with that?"_ Dredd said.

" _What the hell could a judge who sits on a bench all day, possibly do to help get new laws passed in this republic?"_ Bishop said, skeptical of the claims.

" _You let me worry about that. The point is, I am not someone who will default on his word. If I say something is going to happen, then it's going to happen."_ Dredd said.

" _Yea, I heard that from every low-life who believed he was the savior of the wasteland and would later be found dead outside city limits. No deal, judge."_ Bishop said.

"I urge you to reconsider. We both have something we want, and I'm willing to help you get it." Dredd pleaded.

" _I said, no. Get the fuck out of my casino now Judge. I hate to repeat myself. Guards!"_ Bishop said.

The two guards from before would re-enter the room, as Dredd would sigh.

" _Gentlemen, please take our dear acquaintance Judge Dredd and show him to the door. I don't believe he will be staying any longer."_ Bishop said, hopping off the poll table and picking back up the pool stick to continue his earlier game.

The guards would grab Dredd by the arms, and would drag him out of the room and downstairs until the reached the front door where he would be tossed out onto the streets of New Reno. As he pushed himself up, he would wipe himself off of any noticeable dirt and dust, but could do nothing for the minor bleeding of his hands that had scrapped as he hit the ground.

" _Fine! I offered you a chance, and you declined. This will come back to you, Bishop!"_ Dredd yelled towards the bar, as he stormed off.

" _They'll see, they'll all see!"_ Dredd said, heading for the entrance of New Reno to make a new journey to another city to request assistance.

* * *

 **Authors Note:**

theman1111 - My general rule for chapters is to at least have 2,000 characters. Now some chapters have had more then that and so far only one has had a little less then that, but I try to shoot for 2,000. The reason for this is this story is going to be detailed, taking place over a rather long period of time, with different plots and storylines that all have to come in due time. Every chapter is emphasizing important events, and detailing development of structures and such to give you an idea of how things function in order for us to form a bedrock of stuff to build off from and I believe my 2,000 character limit is accomplishing the goals I need it to accomplish very effectively. Like I said above, some will of course be longer depending on the story I'm trying to tell, but 2,000 is around my limit. So although I can't assure you that chapters will get longer due to me not wanting to focus too much on atmosphere and more on bigger picture, this story has a long way to get as we haven't even really begun anything yet and we're still in the infancy stages 18 Chapters in and that's only focusing on main points. So just stay with us, and keep reading :).

As for another note, I know I am losing a schedule in keeping the story as updated as I would like, but not only does my time have to allow me to make the story, but I have to be inspired when I write. When I'm not feeling the inspiration to create a great story for you guys, I will slack and it won't be of good quality and only serve as filler which I don't want this story to be. We are trying to take over the United States here. And that takes time. So I thank you all for reading and staying up with this story, despite my unregulated schedule of when chapters come up.


	19. Chapter XIX: Troubles in Chinatown

_August 30th, 2248_

The New California Republic, a symbol of pre-war American values adopted for post-war use. A government of corruption, greed, and slimy politics of the old world that somehow survived nuclear war. This republic needed to change, or maybe the world just needed to end completely, with no survivors? No matter the reason, it didn't matter. The Wasteland was the Wasteland, and for now that's the way things must be. At least, that was what I used to think before this very day.

In the ruins of San Francisco, stood the mighty seat of power of the Shi. The city, had been fully claimed by the Shi in the years following the Chosen One's visit, and have led to the Shi developing agriculture and radiation combatting technologies that are far more advanced than the Brotherhood, leading to much tension between the Brotherhood and the Shi.

Along the streets of the old city, were linings of traditional Chinese style lighting techniques and old traditional style Chinese market places. Citizens were trading, opening businesses, and residing within the now firmly secure city kept in order by the Shi Guard, with deadly efficiency. Technologies were being constantly researched within the confines of the Steel Palace, and the city was beginning to look like one of the most civilized city in the West Coast, which led to a good amount of tourism from their neighbor the New California Republic.

For months, the New California Republic has been attempting to "persuade," the Shi to submit their city to the growing republics control. A position, deemed to be impractical by the Emperor who has remained in steadfast opposition to the new plans and has done everything in his power to ensure the status quo is maintained. Patrols were increased, the Shi Guard expanded to include some loyal residents, and technologies were ordered to be progressed with haste to keep an edge over the republic.

These advancements in the Shi's structure were out of place, and due to the growing power of the Republic this position of maintaining independence was beginning to feel more like a wet dream, but some hardliners in the faction kept up the fight. With the Brotherhood-NCR alliance in place, the Brotherhood and the NCR have been conducting joint raids and campaigns of terror within the city of San Francisco to force the emperors hand that have been unfortunately successful, despite the best efforts of the Shi Guard. This was when, as if a gift from the homeland, a mysterious stranger appeared within the Steel Palace.

The man wore wasteland traveler gear, which mainly comprised of a small sack around his shoulders, baggy pants, a shirt, a rifle on his back, and a small cowboy hat. He looked like he had been travelling for a few days, hinted by the bags under his eyes which showed signs of lack of sleep.

He stood in the doorframe when I approached, he stood there unmoved, despite my unrelenting grip on my H&K G11. The man, stood not with elegance, but with desperation and lack of appreciation, or courtesy. By the time I stood in front of him, he had still not said one word, merely looked at me directly in my eyes.

" _Welcome to the Steel Palace. Please, state your business."_ I said, not removing my eyes from this apparent staring contest I was engaged in with this stranger.

" _The Emperor, I must speak with him."_ The man muttered, finally giving up on the staring contest.

" _The Emperor is busy, unless you have-…"_ I was interrupted, by the man taking a firm grip of my right arm and pulling me closer then I felt comfortable with.

" _Now you listen to me. Let us not try and pretend the New California Republic is going to allow this city to remain independent under this backwater next generation Tandi, and I also know damn well that if anything happens to me in this city that the republic will not hesitate to send in the military to commence a straight-out occupation. Now me and you can stand here all day, but at the end of it, I believe we both know how it's going to end."_ The man calmly said, while releasing the grip on my arm and I took a few steps back.

" _If anything happens to me in this city, the republic will not hesitate to send in the military?"_ I thought to myself. He couldn't have been a diplomat, as the last one was recalled just last week by the republic after repeated attempts to break into his residence in the city. Maybe he was a senator or councilman, however if he was this would be the last place one would be. Whoever this man was, I could only determine from his tone that he was serious. This, was something that shouldn't have been ignored and I took appropriate action.

I informed my superior, Mr. Ken Lee of the intrusion by this unknown visitor and even he seemed confused of the identity of this traveler, but granted him a meeting.

Inside the Steel Palace, the man was led down the corridors from the lobby into the throne room of the Emperor himself, who was absent as always. Standing beside the throne of the Emperor, stood Mr. Lee his royal advisor who always informed the group about their mission and goals and generally was the face of the Shi hierarchy. The man, had by this point taken off his cowboy hat to pay respect to the throne and was approached by Mr. Lee.

" _What brings you here, sir? The New California Republic was done sending people to our city, I thought."_ Mr. Lee said.

" _Forgive me for asking, but why are you not sitting on your throne emperor?"_ The man asked, placing back on his cowboy hat.

Laughter engulfed the room, with the other Shi Guards and even Mr. Lee himself chuckling to themselves as the man continued to stand, confused by the outbursts of laughter and chuckles he heard from around the room.

" _Oh, that is quite a new joke. I'm sorry, but I am not the Emperor. I am merely his royal assistant, who hears and deals with most matters while the emperor of busy. I will be more than happy to communicate your message to the Emperor at earliest convenience. Now, what is it you feel you need to inform the Emperor about?"_ Mr. Lee said.

The man simply stood, looking up and down the man as he shrugged, clearly losing all care for speaking to the Emperor and allowing for a substitute to receive his message he seemed to have struggled to get across to the Shi Emperor. "Very odd," I said to myself.

" _I'll just cut right to the brahmin. The New California Republic is on the doorstep of this city, and it'll only be a matter of time before the republic annexes this town away from you and the Shi will fade into the unwritten books of history. I'm sure you have had a realization of this by now, or have I traveled this far only to hear of a disappointment?"_ The man said.

" _No, no. We have come to a realization, just not one of absolute failure. The New California Republic and the Brotherhood may have cemented an alliance of sorts, but we are more technologically advanced then the both combined. And with the Enclave out of the picture, challenge to this is minuscule. We can hold out for a good while."_ Mr. Lee confided, yet his expression seemed to indicate otherwise.

" _Look, I know that you must be prideful in all you have achieved as from what I've seen, this city has a lot to benefit from the Shi's wisdom and expertise. However, I doubt the New California Republic will see it that way."_ The man said.

" _I'm sure you didn't come to the Steel Palace just to tell us of our own situation, sir. Please, dispense with what you're truly after here and maybe we can discuss that more. It will be much more pleasant, then simply this unproductive banter."_ Mr. Lee said.

" _To the point, I like you guys for that. Indeed, I have come here with a proposal I believe will benefit us both. And it starts, with your cooperation."_ The man said.

The room would fill with silence, with various parties talking with one another, awaiting to see what the royal advisor would say. It was never in his nature to be one to subjugate something under someone else, but if what the man said was true listening to him may be the only way to the continued survival of the Shi way of life.

" _What exactly do you propose?"_ Mr. Lee said, sounding rather bleak in his tone.

" _First, let me just say that I love your city. And I want nothing more than to see it survive and thrive under the Shi leadership. However, despite my love for the city we must make compromises. Here is what I propose. The current Brotherhood-NCR alliance is unstable and shaky at best, and I am under the impression that it is in no way permanent. Distrust between the New California Republic and Brotherhood will naturally occur, until eventually they split with each other. I wish, to speed up this distrust rather than allowing for natural evolution."_ The man said.

" _This seems very interesting, sir. How exactly do you plan to accomplish this?"_ An intrigued Mr. Lee said.

" _I have some connections within the NCR Army, that I could reach out to. They can help leak military information about operations against San Francisco that I can share with you, and information on how to effectively halt them in their tracks. This leaves the Brotherhood alone in conducting operations against you, which with your technology you can more easily handle."_ The man said.

" _This all seems, unlikely. Even if you had these supposed connections, and could leak the information we need to halt an NCR operation, this is all short-term goals. How does this save our city in the long-term?"_ Mr. Lee asked.

" _I'm glad you asked. The New California Republic's expansionist agenda is coming from these old Tandi regulations and rules, and whatnot and this is being fueled by the numerous successes the NCR Army has been having in recent years against all its foes. If the Army began to start having troubles, President Tibbett may call for a halt of military operations until dissent calms down enough to continue. The problem is, I plan to ensure that dissent never calms down."_ The man said.

" _Alright, you get the advance to stop in the NCR. After we stop them here. And then what happens?"_ Mr. Lee asked, getting rather impatient and excited.

" _One thing at a time, advisor. Once the offensive is stalled and you're only dealing with the Brotherhood who will merely try to harass your patrols, I will lead the movement against the expansionist agenda against the war in San Francisco advocating for a "Republic First," policy. The makings of that part will be on me, but for that time you should be in the clear to build some real defenses if you must. All I need to know, is if I can count on your support on anything I decide to pursue in the NCR, for keeping you independent from a Tandi style administration?"_ The man asked, extending his hand out for a handshake.

It all seemed to good to be true. A stranger, walking in at the darkest of times for the Shi, offering a golden gate solution to prosperity and security, along with independence? Utter madness, yet for some reason he was quite enticing. I wasn't sure if it was due to my experience in fighting both the Brotherhood and the New California Republic Army making me soft for a solution, or if I genuinely believed this was one of the best options for the Shi Empire to begin engaging in.

I studied the expressions of Mr. Lee, and the expressions of the rest of the court. People talked, and gossiped in whispers to each other while Mr. Lee stood there in front of the man with his hand stretched out awaiting a handshake. After what seemed like almost a half hour of gossip, worrisome thoughts, and other emotions, I saw Mr. Lee outstretch his hand, but stop just short of meeting the other participants hand.

" _How do I know that you are legitimate, and that you can accomplish what you state you will do? I don't even know who you are._ " Mr. Lee said, watching the disarming smile of the man that stood inches away from him.

" _They call me, Judge Dredd. I'm sure you've heard of me in the NCR."_ Dredd replied, still holding out his outstretched hand.

Mr. Lee could only stand there, looking dead in the man's face. From my point of view, he must have been calculating ways to prove this false, but was seemingly failing. Judge Dredd was well known on the West Coast for his severe Anti-Enclave stances, and his position as the highest judge in the capital of Shady Sands. The description of him also seemed to match, bringing more credibility to the statement.

Eventually, Mr. Lee finally decided to firmly shake the man's hand, looking each other in the eye after they retracted.

" _Well judge, I hope you're right. If you do what you say, the Shi will give you their full backing." Mr._ Lee said.

The man, unfamiliar with Chinese customs gave a customary Japanese bow that was returned in good spirit from Lee, and soon after the judge departed.

" _Lieutenant Rong, approach."_ Lee said.

I did as told, approaching my superior Mr. Lee.

" _Reporting as ordered, Mr. Lee."_ I said.

" _Zhu Rong, Lieutenant of Central Square. I have a special mission I wish to entrust you to undertake."_ Mr. Lee ordered.

" _Whatever the mission, it is my duty to complete."_ I said, standing sharp as a blades end.

" _I want you to be my attaché for this NCR matter. All communication between the Judge and me, are to be filtered through you. If this is to work, anonymity is key. Can I trust you with this task?"_ Mr. Lee said.

" _Yes, Mr. Lee. I will not disgrace this honor you, and the emperor by extension has bestowed upon me."_ I said.

" _Good, Lieutenant Rong. You shall proceed with your normal duties for now, until further notice. Dismissed, Lieutenant."_ Mr. Lee said, disappearing through the door and down the corridor to the Emperors private study.

" _It was on this day, at that moment. I could see prosperity, and greatness. Unfortunately, my naivety of the time, blinded me to the obvious future. A decision, I will come to regret…"_

* * *

 **Authors Note:**

Shadex2 - I'm not going to give too much away about the exact details of what will happen with locations and such, but I can say that Big MT will be in this story at some point with a story. I cannot say when that will be, but I can assure you that Big MT, Sierra Madre, Hopeville, and even Zion National Park will be in our story. As well as a lot of other locations. Just hope you stay with me while we explore it all together.

On another note, we're going to take a break from the Mojave for the next few chapters and focus on some other areas of activity that will need to be fleshed out. Reason for this is mainly due to the fact that minor detail things just need to happen in the background, but the story needs to move consistently without feeling too "jumpy." Even though were are jumping dates every now and then to keep some sort of progression. I don't know how long we'll be journeying away from the Mojave with our characters, but this is an entire wasteland we gotta flesh out here. And way more is going on in corners Washington and crew nor the NCR know about. I think it'll be worthwhile to establish more story in those regards. Hope you all will agree with this, and hope it serves to enhance our story. :)


	20. Chapter XX: One Bomb and Scram

_October 5th, 2248_

Journals of Ida Squad, Senior Paladin Paula, Entry #1;

" _Well, it's me writing another holo-log for the database. I guess this is supposed to function as like an after-action report now, but I guess I don't really mind it. Boy, do I have a lot to talk about. The Brotherhood of Steel seems to be getting more and more violent and less traditional then even the codex dictates, but I guess that's why they say war never changes. As I'm sitting in my chair, I cannot help but think to myself all that has happened in the past four decades that has transformed our operations. I guess I should start at the beginning. The Warrior as he's known to most destroyed the Calculator and began to use the Cheyenne Mountain Complex as a new base of operations for the Brotherhood. It was during that period he was named General of the Brotherhood, and to this day still oversees the administration and operations of our chapter despite having come from a tribal background._

 _The Warrior over a period of decades, proceeded to make the Brotherhood much more reliant on the locals for supplies and manpower, curbing our previous policies of outright dictatorial rule. This caused us to rely heavily on the locals on providing munitions, food, and manpower which upset many of the older members of the organization including my own father who came from out west. The Warrior, seen as an outsider despite his achievements was not raised to conform to Brotherhood norms, and certainly did not commend the respect of Roger Maxson in the eyes of the original Brotherhood, leading to some deserting The Warrior and making an expedition back west to regroup with the original chapter. My father however, decided to stick it out. And hence why I'm still here today within the ruins of Chicago describing all that has happened._

 _The reliance on the locals became an issue in 2215, with the Brotherhood voicing concerns over having their organization rely on outsiders who had little loyalty to what they were trying to accomplish and thus could cripple any substantial efforts the locals did not personally agree with. These complaints, were mostly ignored by general leading to a decrease in morale across the Brotherhood ranks while keeping the locals happy with the new policies. Prospecting raiders, finding the Brotherhoods spread lines of coverage and lack of resources decided to take advantage of the fact that the Brotherhood would be ill-prepared to respond to threats. From 2215-2234, a period known as the Raider Wars began. Raider groups lead by respective warlords, would lead attacks on small towns and settlements for food and other supplies that they knew the Brotherhood needed to function. And since the brotherhood needed the very supplies being stolen, garrison units were set up in many towns and settlements which still doesn't fix the core problem and lead to the Brotherhood lacking mobility when it came to operations. After the last raider warlord was killed by the Brotherhood, The Warrior decided to allow the towns more freedom in developing private armies. Effectively introducing a feudal sort of system to his Midwestern Confederacy._

 _Now, I should note something here. The Midwestern Confederacy only cared about the towns from which they served, with little sense of national identity outside of the military arm of the Brotherhood. This meant, that although the problem of not having garrison forces for the various settlements would finally be solved and mobility could be restored around the Brotherhood, manpower that would've been given to the Brotherhood had to instead by diverted to the maintenance of the garrison armies appearing in almost every Midwestern Confederacy settlement. In 2243, this all changed for the worse. Reports began to come in about flying machines over the entire Midwestern Confederacy, heading east. Now, we know at the time that the Brotherhood of Steel could not have developed these helicopters indicated in the reports, as the only flying machines present in the arsenal were huge airships that were not face and not too durable. No, this was something new entirely. And boy, was I as correct as ever._

 _The strange helicopters had begun to occasionally land within our territory and if our reports were correct, strange power armored individuals would step out to greet whoever was around by completely slaughtering all lifeforms it came across. This put the general and most of the Confederacy in a frenzy. Who were these people? Where did they come from? And why did they have power armor and some advanced aerial transportation that not even we had access to? The questions only raised more questions, but the only answer to this new threat was to prepare for a pro-longed and protracted war. Which is exactly what the Confederacy did. More battles were fought between garrison forces and these new "troopers," with eye-bots soon appearing across the wasteland announcing that "The Enclave is here for Americans. Do not attempt to resist." When the first transmissions like that were heard, we couldn't hardly understand what that meant and despite being a chapter of the Brotherhood, Lost Hills refused to communicate much with the chapter on status reports other than on issues that concerned technology. It took me to personally make the request in a transmission back to Lost Hills, appealing to the principles of the Brotherhood of technology gathering and how if in the wrong hands could be dangerous. It was only then that the Council of Elders authorized us the information we needed._

 _We learned from the Council of Elders, that the Enclave was a group that came from out west that someone they call "The Chosen One," put an end to by destroying their base of operations. However, if what the Midwest Confederacy was seeing was indeed true, the Chosen One merely made them relocate from the west to the mid-west, and possibly the east. I gathered as much information as I could to begin preparing for any operations against this new threat, which first came in the Battle of Emporia, in the pre-war state of Kansas. Enclave forces engaged Brotherhood forces for the first time, which ended in an Enclave victory after their helicopters and power armor tore into the Power Armors and lower-ranks armor with ease. The general following this defeat, began to recall formations from Colorado, and other states to proceed more outward and engage in guerilla warfare with any group of Enclave soldiers they saw rather than direct engagements following the battle._

 _From 2243-2248, the Brotherhood and the Enclave have been really duking it out on the battlefield. The Enclave, focusing on settlements and supply routes, with the Brotherhood focusing on troops and aircraft, the Enclave has had the tactical advantage over the Brotherhood. The general is confident he can turn the Enclave into scrap metal by the end of the war, but it's more of a question of how he is going to do it then when. My own experiences with the Enclave have been like many others, with Enclave troopers patrolling our supply routes and having to flank and at times retreat under fear of losing too many causalities due to our crumbling supplies. Overall, the situation doesn't seem to be improving for us despite the rhetoric and we're losing grown at a steady pace despite our best efforts. I'm not sure if we'll be able to win against the Enclave, but I'm sure Ida Squad will fight to its last breath to keep the Confederacy in order._

 _Well, that's all from me. Commander is ushering me to get ready for our patrol around Chicago. First it was raiders, now the Enclave. What's next, aliens?"_


	21. Chapter XXI: Exiled and Enlightened

_October 12th, 2248_

 _Journals of Lost Hills, Scribe Elijah, Entry #1;_

" _Lost Hills, the home of the last direct descendant of the pre-war united states military the Brotherhood of Steel. Founded in the Mariposa Military Base on the eve of the great war by one Captain Roger Maxson, the group of survivors ventured out from the base after executing the research staff for their rather "unethical," means of research and sealed off the base before beginning the march to Lost Hills._

 _It was during their seclusion in the Lost Hills bunker after enduring the testing journey of walking across the irradiated wasteland that the Brotherhood of Steel was officially founded with the mission of securing dangerous technologies, to prevent another incident such as the great war from occurring again. Today, depending on who you converse with, this principle can still be true to some or it may have fell far from its original intentions. At least, that's how I perceived it as I worked within the labs of the Lost Hills third floor._

 _After the defeat of the Enclave at Navarro, Star Paladin Pincer the commanding officer of the operation was widely regarded as the mastermind behind the defeat of one of the most technologically advanced foes to ever be encountered by the Brotherhood. Although the Chosen One from Arroyo, highly regarded by the Brotherhood Elders deserves first place on that list, it is Pincer who claims the title of the close second despite only being involved in the late stages of the conflict._

 _Over the past two years, Star Paladin Pincer had been named Head Paladin of the Lost Hills Chapter by High Elder Jeremy Maxson, cementing his new position of authority. Although this decision was declared as a victory for the Paladins and Knights of the Brotherhood of Steel, and despite the personal promises given by Head Paladin Pincer to his brothers in arms to usher in a new age of enlightenment and decisiveness to a stagnant Brotherhood, he seemed more interested in just enforcing the status quo with more aggressive rhetoric than his predecessors._

 _Head Paladin Pincer having defeated the Enclave forces from the west coast entirely, now saw the need to prepare for the upcoming conflict with a new enemy, the New California Republic. An enemy, he claimed was waiting for the right time to strike before they completely expel the Brotherhood in all forms from the west coast. In response to this, the Elder Council Authorized Head Paladin Pincer to begin a subversion campaign against the New California Republic, weakening their authority in so-called "wild," areas and diminishing their influence in independent areas._

 _Although the move was initially met with praise from across the various groups in the Brotherhood, it soon became apparent that Head Paladin Pincer was pushing much of the resources of the Brotherhood on these campaigns, rather than on the main goal of the Brotherhood which has been the preservation of technology. A goal, I personally feel is rather short-sighted and prone to many mistakes in both logical, and execution._

 _The Scribes suffered the worst, being forced to work on projects designed for offensive weaponry and leaving only scraps for history, culture, defensive weaponry, and other areas of development, with myself getting into plenty of arguments with the top-tiers over the misallocation of Brotherhood resources being spent on frivolous expeditions and strategies such as the conflicts with the Shi Empire. It was due to my outright refusals to follow through on some of these orders, that I was ordered out of the bunker in search of "rare artifacts and trinkets," to bring back to the bunker for further study. Absolute shit of an assignment meant to get me "Out of the house," if you ask me._

 _As I was de-facto exiled from the inner workings of the Brotherhood, I've been wandering the California wasteland on my own to look for a location to settle down in. The landscape was not as bad as I originally thought, with me finding ease in blending in to the surroundings with my clothing style and convincing travelers and the like that I was born in Redding, or some other NCR town depending on who I was talking to. I guess I have the lack of keeping extensive birth records in the republic to thank for that, allowing me the flexibility to fake pretty much whatever I need to fake, allowing me much needed access into areas of the republic the Brotherhood would not dare enter without an objective to fulfill for a military campaign._

 _I've set up a small outpost of my own in a place they call "One-Pine," a little south of the bunker in Lost Hills. It's not a bad place, and doesn't draw a lot of attention which is good for me and my work that I plan to be engaging in very shortly. It's based inside of a house, that I have managed to acquire through various deeds without raising much suspicion and has allowed me over the past two months the time to excavate my own little project underneath the house to make room for my own personal research projects, with little interference from the Brotherhood and hidden from any unsuspecting trespasser who may attempt to venture into my home. In fact, I'm writing this report of mine from a terminal within my little bunker. A great accomplishment, to which I hope will serve as the beginning for many more to come._

 _The Brotherhood of Steel, despite having me serve as a de-facto exile, does still expect reports on my mission monthly, but despite me telling them in the most plain of terms that these items they have requested from me do not exist in these parts, nor ever will, does not seem to deter them from asking for the same items each month. Eventually, I'm just going to stop responding to their ignorance and continue with my own goals._

 _President Tibbett's speech months ago was of grand interest to me, with her announcing to the entire republic her intention to continue the expansion of the New California Republic into the northern regions and even into states Oregon and Washington, along with intending to improve relations with the Brotherhood of Steel. A pipe dream in my mind, and one that the current leadership of the Brotherhood will never endorse._

 _However, President Tibbett does present and opportunity for me which I was at first unable to really take advantage of. With the intention of relaxing relations of the Brotherhood of Steel, I have been able for the past few months to occasionally venture down into The Boneyard, into the old Los Angeles Public Library to consult with the Followers of the Apocalypse on innovative technologies and old texts. This relationship has allowed me to gather a small, yet varied list of publications which I believe will really provide me with the foundation to engage in more experimental technologies, something I am preparing to do right here in my lab._

 _My lab although small at this given point in time, is mainly going slow in development because I am the only labor force available to work on it, which when finished will consist of eight rooms. One will be a records room to hold all my files of my research. Three will be holding cells, designed to hold a max of four occupants a cell. Another room will be designated for chemical and biological research, with another being designated as a small manufacturing room for weaponry. The final two were rather special, being specially designed testing chambers to test his theories. It was a rather basic setup, but one in which I was proud of._

 _My first goal once this is complete, is to begin exploration of the old Mariposa Military Base up north. This is a rather strange goal, but I feel like that base holds more secrets that have yet to be unlocked by humanity despite the dark past it has. Ever since the first High Elder Roger Maxson vacated the base, it has been in the hands of either the Super Mutants from Masters Army, or the Enclave forces who from older reports were attempting to release a deadly pathogen that could have killed off the entire world except for who had the cure. However, these are not the reasons I wish to explore the base myself._

 _Although I am very interested in a so-called "Super Soldier," program that the Forced Evolutionary Virus was originally intended to produce for the pre-war United States Government, I am more interested in the so-called Psykers which have been encountered all over the wasteland and were regarded as a personal projected by the long dead Master, as reported by the Vault Dweller in old Brotherhood records. The Chosen One himself spoke of one such Psyker, who could enter his dreams in the middle of the night and provide him visions and wisdom. There have apparently been other reports across California of individuals being able to perform miracles or see into the future. This was the type of project that I was interested in._

 _When I presented these ideas to the Elder Council and Head Paladin Pincer, they thought I was "out of my mind." Ironic, isn't it? For all their talk about wanting to put the Brotherhood of Steel on top of all the other factions, nations, and groups that have been able to form since the years of the great war, they really seem to be content on maintaining their old policies developed over two hundred years ago with no real innovation to begin developing or adapting to the world as it is now, and that in my opinion will be its downfall in the long run._

 _The Brotherhoods enemies grow daily, and with the technology seizures within miles of the Lost Hills bunker complexes infuriating many NCR locals and politicians, and even old adversaries such as the Shi Empire out west accelerating projects to get an advantage on the Brotherhood, I fear that in the very near future, the Brotherhood will be faced with a threat that not even a suit of power armor will be enough to defend them from._

 _For all this talk about the Brotherhood's impending doom, my exile from the general scribe life of Lost Hills, and the economic improvement and expansion opportunity of the current troubled times, I do not hate the Brotherhood of Steel and faithfully I wish it would simply begin adapting to a developing world and stop engaging in practices that has led to its stagnant process. Maybe the Enclave had it right. They may have ruthlessly engaged in a campaign of genocide across the wasteland once they encountered it, but they were open to technologies that could have advanced their purposes, and it was this drive for advanced technologies and equipment that they were able to overwhelm and shock any group that managed to oppose or stand in the way of their goals. A role that was traditionally thought to be reserved for the Brotherhood of Steel in this post-apocalyptic world of America which we now inhabit._

 _I will not call myself an Enclave supporter, but I will say that some of their methods do not have fault in my eyes. Maybe I'll never be able to change the way the Brotherhood thinks or operates, but maybe I can set out on my own path of advancement. Otherwise, weapons of mass destruction that are still waiting to be uncovered in the wastelands unexplored by the Brotherhood and hopefully other groups, will be discovered. And in my own words, "It'll be like children playing with a bomb." A bomb, that can turn even the post-apocalyptic world, back even further in time. A fate, I will not stand by and let happen. No matter what the consequences of my actions equate to be._

 _This is going to be the end of my report. I have a lot of work to do on my lab, and within a week or two I will be setting out on my quest to the Mariposa Military Base. I'll have to be sure to type of a pre-written report for the Brotherhood on my "progress," even though I know we both know what that report is going to read. This is Scribe Elijah, signing off for now."_

* * *

 **Authors Note:**

LanzCorporalAssWipe - I got some plans for the East Coasts, but I have decided to take this story in a new format. I will not be producing what's going on with every area of America in this story, more that I will be detailing each region in separate stories entirely, that are all connected. Sorta like how Star Wars, or most major series books go in order to have a universe, that is told through different points of view for different goals and different stories. This story will stay focused on the West, with a few major plot-lines being undertaken.

Guest - Maybe...

MajorKO - I will take it into consideration.

Anyway, hey guys. I'm sorta back. I never really left, but I recently have gotten myself back into College and am willing to write more of this story for you guys after experiencing some pretty heavy writers block for some time, and having internal issues with how this will develop which I believe I have found a solution for. Hope you all are still with me on this story, and hope you enjoyed this chapter as it opens up a new sub-plot that will heavily contribute to the main plot. Anyways, enjoy reading! Review, favorite, all that stuff.


	22. Chapter XXII: The Rising Storm

_October 12th, 2248_

 _"Madame President, the Shi Empire has still been declining our offers to be a part of our fledgling republic, and we cannot allow this to stand for too much longer."_ _Said a man dressed in NCR Military Officer Fatigues who stood in front of the president's desk._

" _General Bowen, your appointment to the position of Chief of Staff of the New California Republic Army was because I believed that for this republic to be decisive in the military affairs of our republic, it would need a strong leader, and with your service record within the republic, that made you the most appropriate fit for this position. However, in my humble opinion general, I'm not sure if a military solution is the best course of action in this situation. Do you even have a strategy for dealing with the Shi in a military manner?"_ President Tibbett said, sitting in her chair behind the desk in her traditional garment.

" _Madame President, I have studied the reports from our rangers regarding troop emplacements around the San Francisco area, as well as reports detailing the conflict with groups such as the Brotherhood of Steel and even the Shi Empire itself. Although the Shi Empire has managed to hang onto their city for the time being, they cannot hold it together forever."_ General Bowen said, giving a small smirk before placing a map of San Francisco on the table.

" _This Madame President, is a map of the San Francisco area, with locations such as the Golden Gate bridge high-lighted in bright colors to emphasize location. Now, as you should already know, the Brotherhood of Steel have been stepping up operations against the Shi Empire and with only a small fighting force present in the city under the elite Shi Guard, I predict that within maybe a year or so, eventually the Brotherhood will take over the city, or at least take the vast amounts of technology present within the walls. This leads me to my strategy of how we will make this city submit to New California rule."_ General Bowen pointed to the Golden Gate Bridge, along with the Interstate 80, Interstate 280, and Highway 101.

" _These highways are all the various entrances and exits into the City of San Francisco. I propose that to assimilate the city into the republic, we must first make the city dependent on the republic for its resources. If you will allow me Madame President, I request a full battalion of soldiers, be made available to enforce a blockade of the city on all sides, cutting off any sort of trade with the Shi or vice-versa."_ General Bowen would move his finger across the map, back to the Golden Gate Bridge individually.

" _According to our reports, here sits the headquarters of those kooky Hubologists, that the Shi have apparently been trying to rid their city of for months, leading to some bitter conflicts between the two factions. Now, I'm no fan of hubology, but I am a fan of an ally that can be useful. After establishing our blockade of the city, I propose contacting this group and commencing an armament program to allow the group to begin operations domestically, preferably destroying store fronts, places of business, and other economic targets that the Shi rely on to keep them functioning. With our blockade in place, and their economy in ruins from the guerilla warfare, they will have no choice but to accept aid from the New California Republic, and with the aid will come NCR Influence and once that's established, we will have no issue taking over the entire town."_ General Bowen would remove his finger from the map, resuming his standing position as he waited for the president's words.

" _A good plan, general. Well detailed, and well thought out."_ President Tibbett said, going over the strategy in her head while personally running her finger along the map implanted on the face of her desk.

It was a good plan, this much Tibbett was sure about, but for some reason she began to feel rather uneasy about going through with this strategy. Sure, the New California Republic has engaged in practices to subjugate and assimilate towns that would be classified as distasteful, but arming a so-called future terrorist group under the oversight of the republic seemed to like a new level of low that I may not be able to stomach. What if this group renegades on the republic, and instead launches its own terror campaign within the streets of San Francisco? Tibbett would at that point be responsible for the pointless deaths of civilians being men, woman, and very likely children. She looked back up at the general, who anxiously awaited her response.

" _A battalion, for a blockade operation general? Why must you request so many troops for a task which could probably be accomplished by around two-hundred and fifty soldiers?"_ President Tibbett said, pondering to herself internally as she listened to his response.

" _Well, the blockade should only take around two-hundred and fifty like you suggest Madame President, but if this operation is to be successful, we cannot risk our entire deck just on the Hubologists alone. We must determine our own fate, and I believe that the additional troops should be used as reinforcement to the Hubologists in their economic warfare against the Shi. With the increase in manpower from the New California Republic Army, and their technological improvement techniques, this shouldn't take long at all."_ General Bowen responded, maintaining his composure.

" _The Brotherhood of Steel, you mentioned earlier that they have been stepping up their operations against the Shi in recent times. How do you know that they will not be a problem in the upcoming operation?"_ President Tibbett inquired, leaning back in her chair as she watched the general.

" _Madame President, I cannot speak for the Brotherhoods plans in anyway, I can merely respond to situations when appropriate, and be pro-active in operations in which we initiate. We expect the Brotherhood to give us little interference in this operation, but with the current relations, there's no telling what they will do."_ General Bowen said, giving a slight sigh at the end.

" _This will require some time for me to go over, so I will dismiss you for now general. But rest assured, it will be taken into consideration."_ President Tibbett said, with the general giving an official salute before making his way out of the office.

As the general exited the office, her secretary then entered with a stack of papers within hand, placing them on the president's desk.

" _Madame President, these are the latest intelligence reports from our southern and eastern regions. They're not all that great, if you ask me."_ The secretary said, leaving the room soon after.

The southern regions near Baja had been reporting various creatures attacking NCR Outposts and small settlements, which for the region was normal. Tibbett herself had sent a few additional companies into the area to reinforce the strained troopers already stationed there. No, Baja would be given no more of a priority in her mind. As she flipped through the reports, what began to catch her eye was the report of an increase of activity from the Mojave regions.

According to the reports, an increasing influx of raiders had been exiting the Mojave regions into New California, leading to numerous clashes with NCR Security Forces. The clashes were apparently becoming so intense, that the Rangers were having to work overtime on the eastern regions rather than attempting to track down slavers in the northern region, leading to an increase in slaver activity. This could not be allowed to stand.

She proceeded to call her secretary back into the room, and proceeded to give her orders.

" _Contact General Bowen, and tell him to send additional army battalions into the east and northern regions of our republic. These reports in increases in raider and slaver activity need to be of upmost concern."_ President Tibbett said, dismissing the secretary.

* * *

 _October 18th, 2248_

" _Vault City, a paragon of technology and utopia. Or at least, that's what these xenophobes seem to think about their place. To me, the town is a horrid example of a caste system built upon a society of slaves. Despicable, yet here I am going to deal with them."_ Judge Dredd said as he walked close to the gates of Vault City.

He was followed by a small force of fifteen NCR Troopers, who had been assigned from his contacts in the NCR Army to guide him in his "diplomatic," mission he sanctioned for himself. As he approached the gates of the town, he was stopped by the guards.

" _Halt, identification and purpose of visit."_ Said the guard, who was supported by a few other local security forces from the town.

" _Diplomatic envoy from the New California Republic. I need to speak to the First Citizen, on a matter of utmost importance."_ Judge Dredd said, as he looked dead into the man's eyes.

" _Diplomatic envoy? Is that why you brought these soldiers with you to our home? Because you want peace?"_ The guard said, rather annoyed with the man.

Judge Dredd approached the guard, keeping a stern expression on his face as he stood meters away from the guard's face, unmoved and unnerved by the glance he was receiving back.

" _No, I don't want peace. I want vengeance. I want the blood of my enemies to run red within the waters of purity, while I laugh at my easily given victory. However, it appears that your settlement without my help may be independent for not much longer in the coming months according to my own government. A development that is very unsettling to me. Now please, give me a god-damn day pass and allow me to see the First Citizen. I'm not going to ask twice."_ Judge Dredd said, as he slowly backed away from the man.

The guard mumbled, turning away from the group as he conversed with the other guards in whispers before eventually granting the Judge a day pass.

" _Your men, stay here. I will not have this-…filth from the New California Republic taint the sanctuary of our society."_ The guard said.

On most days, this would offend the judge who saw the New California Republic as the savior of the wasteland, but for the purposes of this visit he chose to turn the other cheek and stand down his soldiers before making his way into the courtyard. He was then given an escort by security forces as he was whisked in a face past through the courtyard towards the Vault City Council Building.

As he entered the building, he was frisked of all his weapons and eventually put in front of First Citizen McClure.

" _Ah, a diplomatic envoy from the New California Republic? If you're here to demand our submission, I will once again have to refuse your offer and wish you safe travels back to Shady Sands."_ First Citizen McClure opened with, as he stood around a computer screen.

" _First Citizen, I come here to do no such thing. In fact, just the opposite. I don't want Vault City's submission into the New California Republic, I want Vault City to continue to refuse submission into the republic. But, we both know that you have some problems regarding that."_ Judge Dredd said, as he crossed his arms.

It was true though. Vault City's power generator would give out in less than a decade, with no new solution being brought forth to the table on how to fix the problem. On top of this, the administration of the New California Republic has been increasing its heavy pressure on the city to officially join the New California Republic, and don't seem to take no as answer. These concerns were on the forefront of First Citizen McClure's mind.

" _Yes, but I'm afraid I don't understand. You're a diplomatic envoy from the New California Republic, yet you are attempting to persuade me to not join the republic? Has President Tibbett gone against the Tandi policies she claims to follow?"_ First Citizen McClure said, as he looked at the judge with an intrigued glare.

" _I believe you are having a misunderstanding First Citizen, which is why I am here to clear all of this up. You see, I was not sent by the New California Republic, but I am a well-known figure within it. This is a personal mission of mine which I have undertaken for my own reasons. You may know me as Judge Dredd."_ Judge Dredd said, as he smirked.

" _Judge Dredd? The hanging judge of New California? The staunch anti-enclavist, tough as nails judicial magistrate? If this was true, why was he here in Vault City? Why was he trying to convince me not to join the New California Republic, and what is his stake in us not joining? It all seemed very strange."_ Thought First Citizen McClure, as he watched the judge stand there smiling in glee.

"I'm intrigued Judge, but still have some un-answered questions." The First Citizen said, as the Judge proceeded to uncross his arms.

" _I'm sure you do First Citizen, but I believe you should at least hear out my offer. I think you will find it agreeable, given the current conditions."_ Judge Dredd said.

Over the next two hours the two would discuss their intentions, plans, and future and the roles they would play in shaping it, with Judge Dredd later exiting through the front gates with a smile on his face as he was approached by the NCR Sergeant in charge of his protection detail.

"Sir, shall we head back to Shady Sands?" Asked the sergeant, to which the Judge gave a no-like nod.

" _Negative, sergeant. We're on our way to Gecko, then Modoc, Redding, and finally Arroyo. Maybe we can find the Chosen One there and say hi."_ The Judge said, laughing to himself as he began to make way towards Gecko while being followed by the NCR Patrol.

* * *

 **Authors Note:**

LanzCorporalAssWipe - Yes, the Legion exist. I just will be focusing on them a little later. According to the fallout timeline, they should be con-questing in four states. So you can just imagine that happening until I write more on it.

And as always review, favorite, follow. I make this story for your entertainment, so I hope I'm accomplishing that. Give me some feedback on how I'm doing, so I can constantly improve on things. Hope you enjoyed the chapter, and thanks for reading!


	23. Chapter XXIII: The Collective Good

_November 3rd, 2248_

There are two sides to the Mojave Wasteland, with most forgetting that although it will always be a wasteland, it began as a desert. And during the summer months it's too hot, with the winter being too cold. Unfortunately, these were the winter months for Washington's Empire, and without a steady supply of food from merchant's due to the colder weather, Washington knew that if he was going to have an empire, he would need to begin focusing on the economic front.

Fortunately, Washington did have a small head start on the looming economic problems of the Empire. A few months ago, he offered Mr. House the pre-war business mogul a cabinet position dealing with the economic affairs of the growing nation. Although Washington had yet to establish a complete government, complete with what authority each branch of it has, this gave Mr. House for the time being a very vague portfolio of responsibility and he planned to take full advantage.

The first obstacle Mr. House faced with the lack of his platinum chip which was scheduled to be delivered on the day of the Great War, which he saw as a strategic objective to himself. Due to the fact he needed to ensure that Washington's Army was getting most of the proceeds from New Vegas, he proceeded to raise the tax percentage on the Three Families to siphon some money to hire mercenaries who would search for his package. So far, these mercenaries have not reported any luck, but he believes that one day it will be found and he will finally be at his full potential within his mainframe. A great feat for a great man, in his mind.

Regarding economically developing the Mojave, he also had some ideas regarding it. He knew that Washington was already dedicating efforts of his scientists to focus on harnessing the potential of Hoover Dam and HELIOS One, hoping to bring electricity to the Mojave to attract more settlers and allow for a manufacturing industry of sorts to be created. However, in Mr. Houses mind he knew that for these ambitious plans to be recognized he would need to develop an agricultural base before industrial progress can commence. It was due to this thought that he had sent a messenger for Governor Washington to come to the Lucky 38 to discuss plans for economic expansion.

A few weeks earlier, Mr. House requested for Washington to loan him some enclave troops for a small expedition to Vault 22 in the north-western portions of the wasteland, which he knew from pre-war records was a Vault dedicated to a small experiment concerning botany which House deemed to be a good step in the pursuit of ideas for agricultural development. Washington granted him a total of twenty soldiers, along with four power armored storm troopers to undertake this important task after reports of anyone who goes there not surviving. By the end of the expedition, which only lasted around a day, eight soldiers had died, with six more injured. If it weren't for the power armored stormtroopers, the entire expedition may have been lost. He was ready to discuss his findings with Mr. Washington who had conveniently just arrived at the top of the tower to meet with him.

" _Ah, Governor Washington. I trust the journey was all well for you? I really hope you enjoy the accommodations I have supplied you with."_ Mr. House opened, with his monitor glitching from time to time and maintaining the same static expression.

Governor Washington had been enjoying the accommodations of his new mansion, despite coming from a military background. It allowed him much needed peace, away from the hustle and bustle now becoming common place at installations under his command. Just recently, a new fencing project had been completed using scrap from cars and metals found throughout the wasteland to fully secure the perimeter from intrusion, and more soldiers were stationed in the court yard to work garrison duties.

" _Yes, they've been quite well. But in any case, I doubt you summoned me here to meet with you because you wanted to move in."_ Washington smirked, as he looked up at the monitor. _"And another thing, Mr. House. Why don't you ever have chairs here? I get that you're on a screen, but how do you expect to have cabinet meetings with us if we can't even sit down?"_

" _Not to worry, governor. We have but the finest furniture in all the Mojave Wasteland. Pre-war, and preserved. I hope it meets your standards."_ Mr. House said, as a securitron rolled into the room holding a rather plush chair in its arms and set it down near the governor who took that as a cue to sit.

" _Thank you."_ Washington said, as he proceeded to make himself comfortable.

" _Onto the important matters, you are correct in that I did not summon you here to discuss new living arrangements. I believe I have uncovered some documents that could help spur our economic development, a task you assigned me some months ago."_ Mr. House said.

Washington looked up at the monitor to watch the unwavering electronic gaze of Mr. House, as he gave a slight nod. _"Do tell, what have you uncovered that has caused me to travel across the wasteland to your casino in the chilly winter months?"_ Washington said.

The monitor broadcasting the image of Mr. House would disappear, being rebooted with the words "Connection Terminated," shinning green from the screen.

" _Mr. House? What happened?"_ Washington said, beginning to feel nervous as to what had happened to Mr. House.

" _Oh, just a slight change of scenery."_ Washington turned from the now greenish tinted screen with no image of Mr. Houses face, into the small monitor of a Securitron as he rolled into the room.

" _I didn't know you could remotely connect to various securitrons at will? I should at times make you use one of your securitrons to make your way all the way down to my new mansion. You clearly would get there in faster time then I could get here."_ Washington said, as he watched the securitron.

"There's a lot of things you don't know about me Governor, and this isn't even the tip of the iceberg. However, I can promise that my status is not a threat to your power, so don't misinterpret my words as an act of treason." Mr. House emphasized the last word, as he rolled over to his computer console and used the arms of the securitron to type a few things into his console, with various documents appearing on the screen for viewing.

As Washington attempted to make sense of what he was looking at, he picked up on the fact that these documents were marked with the logo of Vault-Tec, knowing that these had to have been generated by a Vault-Tec console somewhere in the wasteland. He was also able to deduce that these papers were some sort of scientific formula for plants, with various pictures of plants and chemical compounds being written about them.

" _What is the purpose of these Vault-Tec documents, and why does it help in our pursuit of economic development for the Mojave?"_ Washington said.

" _Well, governor. These documents were recovered from the scuffle at Vault 22 up in the north west. Your enclave troopers and soldiers managed to recover some files from the computer systems after clearing the vault and now here they are."_ Mr. House added, as he set his console to shuffle through the documents seemingly at random much to the annoyance of Washington who attempted to read all the information being presented to him and only find that they don't stay on the screen long enough to develop a clear picture.

In addition to this, Vault 22 was a wake-up call for the Enclave. Eight dead, and six more injured would officially mark the very first causalities of the new military Washington was striving to build. In response to the growing concerns within his council that the military will need more soldiers and stormtroopers in the long-term to be more effective, Washington ordered that the enclave army be expanded from the two hundred and seventy-seven soldiers to seven-hundred and fifty, with an emphasis on maintenance, medical, and science personnel to fill much needed vacancies in the enclave. A number Washington felt appropriate for defense and upcoming conquests, he also in addition to this sent a request to Marcus to allow for Super Mutants to be part of the enclave military structure if they wished, which has had mixed reception within the ranks.

" _Yes, Mr. House. I can see that you believe you have found something, but would you please share with me what you have found so that I may entertain a true conversation of policy?"_ Washington said.

" _Governor, these documents hold substantial amounts of information into the study of botany, and I believe I can use this to begin large scale farming operations within the Mojave region. Although, finding a G.E.C.K would've been a discovery, this is the next best thing. I request permission to launch a campaign in our borders to begin recruiting farmers for this agricultural project. If I'm write, we will make the Mojave into a pretty good supplier of agricultural goods, and if your power plan goes the way you project it to, manufacturing industries won't be far behind. Every nation must start somewhere, and all of them begin with farming. It simply can't be ignored."_ Mr. House concluded.

" _You're right Mr. House, but what you're proposing is the full collectivization of agriculture which is a very communist idea for a capitalist such as yourself."_ Washington said, in a calm demeanor as to not show hostile intent.

" _It is very communist, governor. But in these times, we need something to jump-start our economy. We aren't exactly working with a free-market society here, and trying to encourage private investment at such a crucial moment would take too much time, money, and resources which we do not have the time to spare. The New California Republic will not leave New Vegas alone forever, and I would hope to at least have something to hold them back with."_ Mr. House finished, turning away from his console with his securitron focusing on Washington.

" _Communism-…the sworn enemy of the United States of America since the start of the Cold War in 1945. The Soviet Union and the United States tried to out-produce each other, and for a time it seemed as if communism would spread and engulf all nations within its path. Even during the Sino-American war, we fought the Chinese who were under a communist society who we refused to allow influence over our government. Now, after over a century, Communist ideals might need to be implemented to ensure the survival of America, even if it's temporary. These are challenging time…"_

As Washington thought to himself about the ramifications of implementing such a system, Mr. House proceeded to roll his securitron around the room until he received a response.

"Alright-…you have my permission to do it." Washington finally said, defeated by Mr. House in the economic affairs department of his empire. Although Washington was a firm believer in the capitalist idea, he knew that desperate times call for desperate measures. Who knows, maybe it may turn out better then he could hope? A boy can dream.

" _Excellent, I shall begin immediately."_ Mr. House said, as his securitron made his way back to the mainframe and his face appeared back on the monitor, to which he was presumably beginning his plans as Washington proceeded out of the tower, desperately clinging onto the idea that this was for the best. But it would only be temporary. It would only be temporary, right?

* * *

 _November 12th, 2248_

In the northern portions of California, the man they call Elijah was making his way to the infamous Mariposa Military Base, after having finally garnered himself enough time to make this journey, he proceeded from his new home up into the northern portions of the state.

He took only the needed essentials, extra water, tools, and his trusty Gauss Rifle which he managed to talk his superiors in Lost Hills to grant him before sending on his indefinite mission. He wore the robes of the Brotherhood Scribes, unafraid to be challenged by whoever may be patrolling the countryside as he made his journey. After some days of travelling, he eventually reached his destination and began to stare at the entrance of the concealed base.

"You've got to be screwing me…" Elijah said, as he stood there looking at the crumbled entrance of the Mariposa Military Base.

From inspection, he could not seem to find an obvious entrance, and he was damn sure he didn't want to attempt to find an underground entrance that could be crawling with who knows what mutation, or Forced Evolutionary Virus leakage.

" _A wasted trip. I can't get passed those rocks on my own, that would take too long. Hum-…maybe the New California Republic has some dynamite laying around somewhere."_ Elijah thought to himself, wondering where the New California Republic would store such items.

" _The railroads. They must have crews that work on them, and to save time I would bet they use dynamite. Time to find me some railroad workers…"_ Elijah smirked, as he began to walk away from the Mariposa base. For now at least.

* * *

 **Authors Note:**

Thread - Thank you for continuing to read. I don't think we'll have enough time for fillers to be honest. Ever chapter so far has been a buildup to a major plot-point of some sort, and if I'm trying to get this finished at some point I will need to keep hitting the major plot line buildup. I hope you keep reading and enjoying what I write, and thank you.


	24. Chapter XXIV: Troubles in Chinatown II

_November 19th, 2248_

" _One, two, three, four, five-…"_ Repetitive counting motions proceeded as a New Californian Republic Colonel McBride was engaging in his daily physical training regimen, before he started his day. The Colonel was in his early forties, and although he didn't appear to be a body builder, the limits to his physical aptitude was impressive for anyone to witness.

McBride was assigned to serve as the commanding officer the 31st Infantry Battalion, stationed in Camp Pill, near Fresno. His battalion consisted of two companies, filled with soldiers who have never seen a day of combat in their life. He was assigned two weeks ago, after the previous Colonel retired for medical reasons.

" _Sixty, Sixty-One, Sixty-Two,"_ the repetition of pushups continuing. It wasn't too much longer that he had reached ninety, deciding to stop as he saw his lieutenant colonel enter the room, proceeding to stand up and smile.

" _Ah, Benji. What may I assist you with?"_ McBride said, taking a seat on the top of his desk as he eyed his Benji.

" _I don't mean to have interrupted your physical training, sir. But I have new orders from the war department that require your attention."_ Lieutenant Colonel Benji said, extending out a few copies of paper to Colonel McBride who took them and glanced them over.

" _Three-Hundred men for a blockade operation against the Shi Empire?!"_ Colonel McBride re-read over the documents present in his hand, confirming the information he just assumed he saw.

" _Yes, sir. They want a full battalion ready to move within the next four days. We are to arrive at the outskirts of San Francisco no later than November 24_ _th_ _. I already sent in a request for more supporting battalions, but for now this is what we have to work with, sir."_ Benji said, as he sighed to himself.

" _Have they not reviewed the intelligence reports in that area?! The increasing amount of Brotherhood patrols?! The advanced equipment the Shi possess in terms of weaponry?! This is short sighted!"_ Benji merely stood quiet, as the colonel contemplated the orders. As the colonel proceeded to calm down, he proceeded off his desk and towards the door.

" _Sir, shall I send your objections up the chain of command?"_ Benji said, as the colonel proceeded to turn around to him.

" _Negative Benji. If President Tibbett and the War Department believe this is the best way forward, it's not my job to question their orders. It would set a bad standard for the men, and would lead to a lack of trust from the enlisted and the officer corp. It's best to just follow the instructions as best we can."_ McBride said, as he proceeded to open the door for Benji.

"I'll begin making the necessary preparations for the operation, sir. They should be ready to begin the march in two days from now, if all goes well." Benji would proceed past the colonel out the door he was holding, being followed by McBride.

As McBride walked down the hall, he thought of the operation from start to finish in his head. He had a gut feeling. _"This would not end well,"_ he told himself. With no real mention of the threat of the Brotherhood of Steel on the upcoming operation, along with no advanced recon data of the area around San Francisco, they were effectively going in blind. And blind, is never something you want to be in war.

* * *

 _November 22nd, 2248_

Zhu Rong manned his post outside of the Steel Palace, patrolling the Central Square. On his patrol route, he saw what was observed to be the usual in the Shi borders. Merchants lined the streets attempting to sell handcrafts, scrap, or any other type of commodity that they could attempt to sucker anyone into buying. That's not to say that every merchant was a con, but every merchant did have the goal to make money on what they sell and that alone made Rong very skeptical about visiting any of the shops that opened along the strips of roads.

As he continued his patrol path throughout Central Square, he noticed a very familiar face approaching towards the Steel Palace, seemingly in a hurried motion. He wore brownish robes, concealing most of his face to the crowd behind him, but clearly visible to anyone in front. Rong turned his pattern back towards the palace, soon intercepting the man who looked him in the eye.

" _I need to talk to Mr. Lee, now. It's a matter of upmost importance."_ The man said, Rong standing firm in the path Judge Dredd.

" _All communication between Mr. Lee and you, Mr. Dredd must be passed through me from now on due to security. Orders came from Mr. Lee himself."_ Rong said, pressing his hand on the top of his sword.

" _Get out of my way, I don't have time for these games. Mr. Lee needs to have this information."_ Dredd said, voice getting tense in a clear tone expressing anger.

Zhu Rong would whistle inside the square, only to soon be flanked on both sides by additional guards from the Steel Palace who now stood in the path of the judge, forming a wall behind their captain.

" _Either you will tell me this information that you desperately desire to share with Mr. Lee, or I will have to escort you away. This is your only chance. Do not waste it."_ Rong said, as he gripped onto the top of his sword that hung from his waistline down.

Judge Dredd looked around at the line, seeing himself outnumbered and outgunned. The Shi Guard were known to be elite, and effective, even though they merely protected this one city. He couldn't allow this ego to get in the way of his goals though, and merely gave a sigh before opening up to Zhu Rong.

" _The New California Republic is coming. My sources within the military confirm that days ago, President Tibbett officially signed off on plans to blockade the City of San Francisco, to force the submission and assimilation of this town into their borders."_ Dredd said, looking around to see if anyone heard him or was watching.

That was it. Those were the words that would bring terror within the ranks of the Shi Guard. Fighting the Brotherhood of Steel was one monster, but if the New California Republic has decided to mobilize its armies to begin a campaign to conquer San Francisco, it was unsure if they would survive the skirmish to tell their descendants of the battle. This reality, swam through the thoughts of Zhu Rong as he proceeded to press his own questions.

" _How many soldiers? When are they due to arrive, and what is there strategy? I highly doubt the New California Republic will be attempting any form of direct assault, but if what you say about this blockade is true, I believe they plan for us to attack them. An outcome that even if we manage to win the battle, it will officially begin the war."_ Zhu Rong said, taking his hand off his sword finally as to show a change in demeanor.

" _Around three hundred soldiers, a full battalion. They are scheduled to be here in around two days according to their operation orders. I'm exactly all the details of their strategy, but I know a majority of it is stopping all food shipments and merchants from entering and exiting the city, effectively starving the populace. In addition to this, they plan to have The Hubologist engage in some sort of terror campaign, to finally force your submission to the New California Republic."_ Dredd said.

" _It's a conspiracy, then."_ Zhu Rong thought to himself. Ever since the Chosen One came through and helped the group try and achieve its goals to reach space, they have been showing increasing amounts of militant activity around San Francisco and despite efforts to fully abolish them, the Shi Guard has only managed to limit their area of operation to focus more on the Brotherhood of Steel threats. It was clear that if they were to survive this, The Hubologist would not be allowed to live on.

" _Well, thank you for this information Judge. It shall be taken into consideration and a defense shall be prepared. Mr. Lee will also be informed of your visit, but I'm sure that you don't want to be seen here when the fighting begins, so I bid you farewell on your journey back into the New California Republic borders."_ Zhu Rong said, as he proceeded to gather his line of soldiers and allow them to resume their patrol patterns.

"Jackass," said Dredd as he proceeded to put his cover back on his head and proceeded to leave. Unknown that at the time, his conversation was being observed by an individual who stayed in the shadows, listening.

As they Shi Guard dispersed, and the judge had fully left the scene, the man proceeded down into an alley into the residential neighborhoods of San Francisco.

" _The New California Republic is coming, eh'? Wait till Head Paladin Pincer hears about these developments. Neither the Shi, nor the NCR will see it coming."_ The man said, disappearing into a crowd of Shi citizens.

* * *

 _November 22nd, 2248_

" _What'll it be, stranger? I got whiskey, beer, and ginger."_ The bartender said, as he proceeded to wipe down his counter towards Elijah who had just entered.

Elijah had made his way from the Mariposa base, to a small shanty town no more than ten miles away from the Mariposa Base. He tracked down an old railway line that seemed to be in use by the New California Republic, heading east from Mariposa.

As he followed the tracks he ran across a town called "Daven," taking on the appearance of an old mining town you would see in the 1800's, in an old Pre-War text. He had seemed to have found the local bar of the town, which he determined would be a good start as any to find his dynamite.

" _Whiskey."_ Elijah said, as he walked fully into the building and the bartender proceeded to pour him his drink.

The bar wasn't that big, with a few chairs scattered around by some wooden tables and the main bar itself. Inside there was a small group of three men playing what appeared to be some sort of card game in the corner, with another male and female hanging out near the juke box. By the time he took note of all the individuals in the bar, the bartender had finished pouring his drink as he took hold of it.

" _That'll be six dollars."_ The bartender said, as Elijah placed the caps onto the table.

" _That's not going to fly here buddy. NCR Dollars, or no service. We don't take caps."_ The bartender said, as Elijah merely shrugged and put down his drink.

" _I don't have any NCR Dollars. I'll personally assure you that caps will be fine, though."_ Elijah said, as he looked up to see the bartenders face that stood unmoving, emotionless.

It was here when Elijah noticed that the bar had gotten more silent then previously, with the three individuals playing a card game in the coroner having stopped to observe the interaction between the bartender and the mysterious man, and the other two having already left the bar. The bartender proceeded to place his fist down onto the counter, as he looked into the eyes of Elijah who merely smiled back.

" _You either pay me in NCR Dollars, or you're going to pay for that drink with some-…hard earned labor."_ The bartender said, as sounds of the cracking of knuckles were heard behind Elijah.

" _Then what the hell are you waiting for."_ Elijah said.

Very soon, the small shot glass of whiskey sprang up from the counter, with Elijah tossing it into the face of the bartender before he even realized what had happened.

While the bartender screamed from the pain, Elijah took note of the three males running towards him and proceeded to kick one of the bar stools in their direction which knocked them all onto the ground. It was during this time, he pulled out his Gauss Rifle he had carried with him since the beginning, and aimed it towards the men.

" _Anyone make any movements I don't like, you will get a taste of this and I assure you that it'll really pack a punch."_ Elijah said, as he aimed the Gauss Rifle at the three men, gazing up at the bartender.

" _What the hell do you want here?! We're a mining town!"_ The bartender shouted, beginning to clear glass from his face.

" _Dynamite. As much as you got, I need it all."_ Elijah said, as he continued to aim the rifle around.

" _In the shed, out back. Get what you need, and get out."_ The bartender said, as Elijah merely smirked to himself and pulled the trigger on his rifle, killing one of the three card players who crashed into the floor, before reloading.

" _You think I'm stupid? You wouldn't keep mining supplies in the shed, just unlocked. We need the keys. Stop trying to screw with me, or I kill another one of your patrons."_ Elijah said, with the bartender sighing before slowly reaching for the key and places it on the counter.

" _One of you, pick it up and come with me. And the rest of you don't move until he comes back, or I kill him and you two."_ Elijah said, as one of the card players moved to the counter to pick up the key and proceeded to be taken out back to the shed to unlock it.

After the door was unlocked, Elijah proceeded to knock the man in the head with his rifle before going inside and loading himself up with as much dynamite he could stuff into his bag, before making his way out of the town as fast as possible. He didn't bother to head back inside with his sleeping friend, finding it better for them to eventually get tired of waiting and come check. Until then, he had a mission to do. And a couple of miners weren't going to stop him.

" _Mariposa or bust. Or in my case, bang."_ Elijah said to himself, as he proceeded down the roads back to the base.

* * *

 **Authors Note:**

Doragon - I'm doing my best. Glad you're enjoying, and hope you stick with me.


	25. Chapter XXV: Troubles in Chinatown III

_November 23rd, 2248_

In the early morning hours of the day, Elijah arriving back to Mariposa Military Base with a bag filled with sticks of dynamite, a smile on his face, as well as lighting equipment for the fuses.

Mariposa still looked the same as it did a few days ago, with no signs of anyone operating near the area which was always good news to Elijah, who preferred to work without any annoying distractions from the average wastelander.

Elijah had spent much of his early morning ensuring that he had the most accurate placement of the dynamite, to blow a whole into the center of the base. After he felt confident enough that his setup would be enough to breach the inside, he lights some of the fuses with his lighter and proceeded to cover as it made its way to the stick of dynamite.

A loud bang was then heard, along with the sound of crumbling rocks which was music to Elijah's ears. After all the noise had died down, he saw that the entrance to the base was open and that he could proceed with his mission.

While approaching the entrance of the base, he took note of the dust still exiting from the now blown blockade of rocks as it began to stain his clothes and make the air go stale. These matters however were trivial, and that for his mission to succeed he cannot be worrying about the logistics of a good dry cleaning.

He took out his Gauss Rifle, holding it at the low-port ready as he began his journey into the base. The first floor wasn't anything great, just dead enclave soldiers rotting inside the power armor they fought in, and the rest of the floor was filled with bodies of dead super mutants.

 _"The Chosen Ones work, I'm sure of it."_ Elijah said, as he continued down the narrow corridors of the base.

As he continued through the first floor of the base, he began thinking of the significance of the Mariposa Military Base. Before the great war, it was designated as the facility that would take over all Forced Evolutionary Virus biological research, which was guarded by the soldiers of Captain Roger Maxson's unit.

Yes, this place was the birthplace of the original Brotherhood of Steel present in Lost Hills. This was the facility where Roger Maxson took command of all the remnants of the United States Military in the base garrison, executed all the scientist involved in the biological research, sheltered the soldiers during the great war, and eventually left the base as they marched across the irradiated wasteland to Lost Hills.

To the Brotherhood, this is what made the base significant. However, other groups also found other reasons for why this base significant such as The Master, and the Enclave.

His train of thought paused, as he reached the first elevator. It was still functioning, and Elijah guessed it had to be running on a self-generating power station located somewhere near or inside the base. The doors of it slid open with himself stepping inside and proceeded down to the second floor where he would continue his search for the research terminals of the Forced Evolutionary Virus.

His old train of thought soon ran through his mind, thinking of the stories he was told about Masters Army who used this base for their own purposes almost one hundred years ago, when the Vault Dweller was around. Using the Forced Evolutionary Virus, The Master as he was called began a process of dipping humans found in the wasteland into the various pits of goo that was present in the base, attempting to create an army of super mutants.

From the Vault Dwellers own retelling of the story to Brotherhood Scribes, he mentioned that this was not done for a hatred of humans, rather The Master saw the Forced Evolutionary Virus as the next step in human development and believed that for humans to keep advancing they would all need to be dipped into the vats of green goo. Although the Vault Dweller never went into details of how he defeated the master, I can only assume that if the Vault Dweller didn't engage in some sort of battle with the individual, then he must have had to point out the obvious flaws in super mutants such as the sterile nature of the super mutants. A flaw too important, to have just overlooked in Elijah's mind.

As his sweep of the second floor began to give the same appearance as the first, he opted to continue proceeding down further into the base, eventually coming across the third floor.

As he descended further and further, the air grew more and more stale due to the depth and lack of ventilation present on these lower levels of the base, but he pressed on.

After Masters Army was no longer a threat to the wasteland, the base was left vacant until the arrival of the Enclave, who located the base and began to use captured slave labor to excavate the entrance Their goal was to use strands of the virus, in order to create a chemical compound designed to wipe out all mutants and humans who remained on the wasteland. An attempt that was thankfully stopped by the Chosen One, once he blew up the Enclave Oil Rig a few hours before the final solution was to take place.

Although the Enclave eventually deserted the base, the Chosen One later returned to find a host of mutants had taken refuge inside the base who were guided by one of the psykers, by the name of Melchoir who by his own account, could summon deathclaws and other monstrosities. But by now, they all were dead and now the only person interested in the base was Elijah, who by now was proceeding onto the fourth floor.

Eventually he had finally reached the central control room, overlooking the dipping vats of the base which was still running high with the virus.

Elijah began to hack into the base terminals on the old consoles, eventually accessing the central database and began to skim through old research files of the scientists. Although these files were encrypted to some extent, he was able to breach the codes and read the full extent of the files in regard to the available research. As he read, he proceeded to take notes on everything he deemed important, including on the chemical composition of the virus itself in case it needed to be reproduced.

As he finished copying all the information he felt necessary to note, he proceeded to initiate the base self-destruct sequence present in the lines of encryption, as he proceeded to rush his way out from the lower levels of the base. He had barely just made it out, before the explosions began to rifle its way through the base allowing for the supports to give out and for the entire building to soon be a huge crater of rubble under possibly miles of rock.

 _"Goodbye Mariposa. You've had a good run, but this information is best to stick with me. I'm sure the original Maxson would understand, if he were still alive."_ Elijah said, as he proceeded to leave from the base and head back to his residence, grinning as he left the new smoldering ruin of what used to be Mariposa.

* * *

 _November 23rd, 2248_

 _Lost Hills, the headquarters of the Brotherhood seemed to be bustling with all the usual activity that could be expected from a bunker filled with hundreds of veteran soldiers, with free time on their hands. From small children running around learning how to become either a Scribe or Knight, the Elder Council hosting their usual meetings, Paladins barking orders and Knights transporting various sorts of equipment around the base._

 _This was the usual day at the Lost Hills bunker, and not much else usually occurred. However, today was going to be different as a new message had arrived to the Brotherhood Scribes later in the day, who proceeded to request an audience with Head Paladin Pincer, who at the time was engaging in a boxing match with a punching bag inside of his office._

 _A knock was soon heard, as the paladin proceeded to pause his workout to allow the person to enter his office, which so happened to be a scribe._

 _"What can I for you scribe?"_ _Pincer said, as he looked at the scribe who appeared to be rather young, even for a scribe._

 _"Sir, I have a report from our spy in San Francisco that requires your urgent attention."_ _The scribe said, taking note of the decoration inside the office._

The office was rather tidy, with the hanging punching bag present in the corner and a portrait of Head Paladin Rhombus hanging on the wall behind the desk, looking down over whoever entered the room.

" _Well, what does the report say? Has he found a way for us to capture the technology inside of the city from the Shi?"_ Pincer said, crossing his arms.

" _No, sir. It's far worse. We have received word that the New California Republic has dispatched a full battalion to initiate a blockade of the city, going to attempt to fully subjugate it into the New California Republic, and integrate its technology."_ The scribe said, as he watched the head paladin's facial expression closely.

"The New California Republic is going for a full annexation? How long from now, or have they already arrived to begin the blockade?" Pincer said, as he kept his composure despite getting such a late warning of an impending annexation.

" _They New California Republic Army is moving towards the city as we speak, and are due to arrive no later than tomorrow according to their marching orders. The Shi Guard are preparing for confrontation, but if the New California Republic is willing to try out a blockade to starve them out, they will surely fall after a time and the spoils will be ripe for the taking."_ The scribe said, coughing into his hand before lowering it back down.

"Thank you scribe, return to your post. I have some planning to do." Pincer said, as he began to walk around his desk while the scribe proceeded to leave the office.

After the scribe left, Pincer began to wonder about his plan of action, but not before sending orders down the Chain to prepare a force of forty soldiers to be prepared within two hours for an expedition to San Francisco. He refused allowing the republic even the chance to get their hand on even more advanced technology then what the Brotherhood currently holds, but also hated the fact that he would have to alleviate pressure on the Shi who currently hold it. It was a position he could've never imagined himself to be in.

" _If the New California Republic wishes to cross the line today, then I believe this is the path to the war with the republic we've been preparing for. We cannot allow the republic to take over the City of San Francisco."_ Pincer said to himself, as he proceeded out of his office to oversee the efforts to gather his army.

* * *

 _November 24th, 2248_

" _Sir, the city is visual range."_ Lt. Colonel Benji said, as Colonel McBride looked up to see the outline of the city coming into view.

McBride had led his army towards San Francisco, with the full battalion approaching from various directions. McBride personally had a force of eighty with him coming along the I-80 bridge into San Francisco, while the others proceeded up Highway 101 and I-280, to begin the blockade operation.

"Thank you, Benji. Have them begin setting up the tents and such here, there is no need to approach further." McBride said, as Benji began to order his men to set up camp and begin the turning away of all merchants from the city. A radio call was also sent down to the other companies and platoons, doing the same in their positions. Eventually, a full blockade had been established with makeshift tents being set up to house the soldiers and other facilities for the duration of the blockade.

McBride however, was not at all satisfied with these developments. For one, it had appeared that the vehicles lining the bridge had been moved and merely ran along the sides of the highway allowing for a clear central path right into the heart of the city. This was a red flag to McBride, believing that if they advanced further they would be walking into a trap.

As these fears ran through his mind, Lt. Colonel Benji had informed Colonel McBride that his request for additional troops was denied as other battalions had been diverted to other frontier operations to deal with the influx of raiders and bandits who had been launching attacks on New California citizens, but did agree to send a small number of New California Republic Rangers to assist in the operation now named "Operation Golden Wall."

" _Lieutenant Colonel Benji, I need you!"_ McBride shouted out, as the Lt. Colonel made his way to his superior officer.

" _Benji, I need you to make your way into the city and visit the Hubologist. Tell them we are here to help them, but we need their help in return. Pretty much, everything our orders tell us to have them help us with."_ McBride said.

" _Yes, sir. I'll set out within the hour."_ Benji said, as he made his way back towards the tents that had been set up.

" _Please, go well. Please don't let this go wrong…"_ McBride said to himself, as he continued overlooking the destroyed post-war skyline of the city, and simply shook his head.


	26. Chapter XXVI: Troubles in Chinatown IV

_November 25th, 2248_

" _Fuck, I need to hurry."_ The man said, placing various amounts of clothes into a suitcase present on a nearby bed.

The man, looking to be in his late twenties wore a white lab coat, with a head of hair that appeared to be balding. The way he moved across the room, indicated that something had scared him and that imminent danger was about to come before him.

"Where are those files!" The man said, as he looked through desk drawers present in his room as he scattered papers across the room.

A knock was soon heard on his door, which caused him to jump up in fear. Thinking rather quickly, he proceeded to pick up a small laser pistol he kept hidden in the drawer underneath his desk, and picked up his suitcase from off the bed, sliding it under with his feet as he turned to face the door, hiding the laser pistol behind his back.

" _Come in!"_ The man said, as he maintained his professional posture while the door to his room opened.

"Doctor Crockett, I heard some commotion coming from your dwelling. May I ask, what was the cause of such a disturbance?" The man said.

The man was dressed in the robes of the Hubologist, a standard garb for this cult of scammers. Dr. Crockett never truly cared about the Hubologist, nor did he care to stay in this city with the New California blockade threatening to plunge the streets into a war-zone using the Hubologists as a key component. All he cared about was surviving, and staying with this group no longer proved profitable.

" _It's nothing, AHS-7. I was just pondering a new scientific problem, it's very taxing on my mind and I need to relieve myself from time to time. I'm sure you can understand."_ Crockett said, still hiding the pistol behind his back.

" _Doctor Crockett, you must begin to have faith in the Star Father. In the pursuit of peace and tranquility, you must cleanse yourself of the neurodynes that you have allowed to grow inside of your body, hindering your pursuits. With the conquest of San Francisco commencing, we can use the opportunity this presents us to prepare another strategy to go to the planet Quetzel. You must see the way."_ AHS-7 said, placing his arms inside of his sleeves within his robe to give the appearance of a praying monk.

Dr. Crockett was disgusted in these words. Nothing more than a scam, that would eventually get them all killed. But that was if he was lucky. He may not hold much in common with the Shi, but lately he has been beginning to see their policy towards the Hubologists as a necessary evil.

" _AHS-7, I have other business I must attend to. Is there something else I can help you with?"_ Crockett said, getting rather annoyed with the conversation as his grip tightened on his laser pistol.

" _I know what you're doing, Doctor. And I do not approve. I'm here to give you one chance, and one chance only. Stay here with us, and continue your work. Or you will not make it out of here."_ ASH-7 said, as he looked to the doctor.

It was at this point, that Crockett knew it was now or never. He withdrew the weapon from behind his back and pointed it towards ASH-7, as he pulled his suitcase out from under the bed with his feet.

" _I'm going to get out of here, and you're going to help me. I don't have time for games."_ Crockett said, watching ASH-7 slowly put up his hands as Crockett moved closer to him with the pistol.

" _Get moving, we're heading to the entrance. And do not make any sudden movements."_ Crockett said, as he used his free hand to push ASH-7 towards the door.

As they both walked down the halls, they soon began receiving stares as the other cult members began to piece together what was going on, but didn't dare interfere due to the danger present to one of their leaders. As the two reached the stairs and proceeded up, Crockett continued down into the streets of San Francisco about two blocks before releasing the man and taking off.

" _We'll get you back for this Doctor! Mark my words!"_ ASH-7 yelled out, as Crockett proceeded to run away from the city.

With San Francisco no longer is home, he thought about settling down in the New California Republic. However, once the thought of the Hubologist outpost and the increased support for the group, the New California Republic didn't seem like a safe choice. He then thought about heading up north into the unconquered regions, but felt he wouldn't survive long in the uncivilized Wasteland. This left his final option of Vegas, that was reportedly being controlled by a new governing entity calling themselves the Enclave. And if the intel from the Hubologist is correct, the Casino's and such would provide him a good influx of tail if he offered his services.

" _Mojave Wasteland, or bust! But not like my rocket-…that was just tragic."_ Crocket said, as he proceeded towards the NCR Blockade to leave, destined for the Mojave. Specifically, the lights and benefits of New Vegas. He could only hope, the regime there would welcome him for his skills.

* * *

 _November 25th, 2248_

" _The New California Republic is holding position on the bridges and interstates, they have already begun resisting our merchants from coming inside the borders, but have been permitting anyone who wishes to exit. We believe they are doing this to minimize causalities if they are having to resort to open combat against us, but it leaves us in a rather interesting position."_ The 1st Lieutenant said.

" _The New California Republic, will not risk conflict if it believes it can be avoided. Are the defenses in place in-case a does' confrontation takes place?"_ Zhu Rong asked, as he overlooked the maps.

" _Yes, Captain. The charges are set and are ready to be detonated if necessary, however I do believe we need to use this to wipe out the New California Republics newfound allies the Hubologists, once and for all."_ The lieutenant said, as Zhu Rong would sigh.

An NCR Lieutenant who came from one of the blockades was spotted headed towards the home of the Hubologist, possibly to discuss a deal. Although nobody in the Shi knows what the conversation was truly about, they knew that it was meant to stir trouble in the borders of the Shi Empire and this in Zhu Rong's mind, could not stand.

" _I concur lieutenant, but their facility is a bunker and they have perfected the technique for hardening of the American power armor suits, and if the New California Republic is supporting them, I doubt they will be afraid to use it in the coming battle. However, I fear if we do nothing our enemies will have the upper hand."_ Zhu Rong said, as he looked up to the lieutenant.

" _Let me take an assault group, and launch a pre-emptive strike on the compound Captain. If we can lure these people out of their bunker, we may have a chance at killing them, especially if we use our-…special advantage."_ The lieutenant said, as he watched the captain's eyes center on his face.

" _Those suits are usually kept in storage, but I do believe that in cases such as this it may be our only hope. I authorize you to take a total of five stealth suits, and I want this handled as quietly as possible. Do you understand lieutenant?"_ Rong said, as the lieutenant nodded.

" _I will not disappoint you captain, I will not bring any shame to the emperor. Or to you, my mentor. I shall prepare for the attack now, and will have a full report of the operation by late tonight."_ The lieutenant would give the captain a salute, before turning away and leaving.

It wasn't long after this that Ken Lee made his way to the captain, who gave his traditional greeting to the man.

" _Mr. Lee, I was not expecting a visit from you so soon. How may I be of service to the emperor?"_ Zhu Rong said, as Lee smiled.

" _The emperor is quite pleased with the work you have been doing, captain. And I have been pleased with the intel you have forward from our dear friend Judge Dredd. Tell me though, do you think that we have enough men to defend this city? Or do you think this may be pointless?"_ Lee said, dropping his smile a little to emphasize the seriousness of his question.

" _Sir, I have already given orders for some of my men to procure the stealth suits in the basement for an infiltration operation into the Hubologists Headquarters. We hope to have that situation sorted by nightfall, and without the Hubologists, the New California Republic will be our only enemy who I doubt will risk a full-frontal assault from three directions with what appears to be a single battalion."_ Zhu Rong said, as he maintained his professional soldier composure as he watched his superior ponder his words.

" _For all our sakes, Mr. Rong. I hope that this city will be able to remain independent from the New California Republic for at least a few more years. We may need to begin considering paths to return to China, as our position here in America has become-…untenable."_ Lee admitted, letting out a loud sigh.

"Whatever the emperor decides is our course of action, is what I will do my best to carry out. For now, the defense of our very way of life is at risk. And I must defend it with all my might." Zhu Rong said.

Lee then gave a final nod, before dismissing the captain entirely to proceed back to his planning of the defense of the city. As Ken Lee walked through the halls of the Steel Palace, he couldn't help but contemplate his very words spoken during the conversation. Was he serious about attempting to make it back to China if this situation didn't improve? And if so, how would he get the materials and resources to launch the expedition back home? It was all a lot to think about. But maybe they would need to attempt to find ways to get home. Otherwise, they may not live for too much longer in this hostile environment.

* * *

 **Authors Note:**

MajorKO - I plan to have something in regards to The Divide, Big MT, Zion Canyon, and the Sierra Madre. It all just comes in time, and I know that at this point it is not nuked which is always a plus. It will most likely come into play later in the story.

And I would like to personally apologize for any errors made in this chapter. I'm really tired, and I may have missed some small things. Hope you enjoy the chapter.


	27. Chapter XXVII: Downfall of a Presidency

_November 26th, 2248_

" _Colonel McBride!"_ Was the sound heard by none other than Lt. Colonel Benji, who was running up to McBride's position upon the bridge.

As he turned to see why he was being shouted at by his second in command, a shot that could only be determined to have come from a laser rifle shot past him and caused him to duck onto the concrete, soon being joined by his Lieutenant Colonel.

" _Benji, what's going on here? Did the Shi manage to outflank our position?"_ McBride asked, beginning to take out his magnum revolver as he held it up trying to see who was shooting.

"Negative, sir. These guys are packing power armor, with the logo of the Brotherhood of Steel painted square on their metal chests. I guess our intelligence was wrong." Benji said, keeping his entire body low as troopers from the New California Republic and Brotherhood of Steel Paladins begin to battle it out on the bridge.

" _They were wrong,"_ McBride said to himself as he continued to watch the battle raging before his very eyes. He watched as the paladins of the Brotherhood of Steel with all their superior technology and strength begin to decimate his small blockade force with no causalities yet inflicted on the Brotherhood.

For all the fears of what all could have gone wrong, the Brotherhood arriving to the city to engage the New California Republic forces had to be top of the list. He knew they could not have simply allowed the New California Republic to take a treasure trove of technology that everyone knew was present within the City of San Francisco.

" _Sir, what do we do?! We're effectively cut off here!"_ Lt. Colonel Benji said, looking to McBride for answers who only provided him more discomfort due to his blank facial expression.

As McBride continued to watch the battle for at least another minute, he slowly began to turn his head to the Lt. Colonel as he placed his weapon down onto the pavement in a sign of defeat. _"Tell the men to stand down and surrender…lieutenant colonel. No point in allowing us to get slaughtered without purpose."_

Before Benji could attempt to argue, he watched as the colonel stood up from his position with his hands raised and began to walk towards the gunfire between the two sides. Not long after, more soldiers under his command began to follow in his footsteps as he proceeded with his hands raised in the air towards the Brotherhood Paladins who had stopped firing.

Benji watched as their entire unit on his portion of the battlefield, had effectively surrendered to the Brotherhood under fear of slaughter. Without any more hesitation, he proceeded to the radio tent to broadcast a message to the remaining blockade detachments to surrender to the Brotherhood of Steel and do not put up a fight before in turn surrendering with the colonel himself.

This, was a defeat to the glory of the republic. The Brotherhood had within a span of ten minutes, inflicted over twenty-five causalities to the small blockade force on just their blockade route, with no causalities to speak of on the opposing side and one that the Brotherhood would surely use in the upcoming retaliations expected to come from the New California Republic once word of this event reaches back to the New California Republic.

Although the New California Republic force sent to blockade the City of San Francisco had surrendered with a total county of fifty causalities after all the fighting was concluded on all the blockade routes, and a total of two-hundred and eighty prisoners taken by the small force of forty paladins, the Brotherhood could only claim a partial victory for the Battle for San Francisco.

The Brotherhood after capturing all the prisoners, decided to make an example of the New California Republic by executing half of the members of the New California Battalion, including Colonel Mcbride while sparring Lt. Colonel Benji, lowering the amount of captured from two-hundred and eighty prisoners to one-hundred and forty in a span of thirty minutes. After directly executing half the force, they then proceeded to throw the other one-hundred and forty into the sea beneath the highway as a sign of zero tolerance for prisoners.

Luckily, Lt. Colonel Benji would survive this, managing to swim back to shore with his skills that he picked up in his youth. Unfortunately for the Lt. Colonel, he could only save twenty of the remaining men as the rest drowned underneath the unforgiving waters of San Francisco. Shattering the spirits of the remaining twenty-one soldiers including Benji who would live to tell the tale.

As for the Brotherhood, they then began to focus their attention on the Shi controlled city on San Francisco with Head Paladin Pincer ordering a direct charge into the streets. Unfortunately for him, with no more Hubologist to speak of due to the successful Shi operation the other night and the carefully placed explosives under the row of cars on the highways, they were able to anticipate the Brotherhoods assault and proceeded to blow the charges underneath the husks of pre-war automobiles.

In total, the causalities for the Battle of San Francisco were rather high on two sides. An entire New California Republic battalion was nearly extinct, the force of Paladins had been reduced to twenty after the explosions causing them to retreat to their bunkers feeling satisfied in at least turning the tide of the New California Republic, and the Shi Empire not suffering a single casualty. The only question on everyone's mind now, was how the next few weeks were going to play out for the Shi, Brotherhood of Steel, and the New California Republic.

* * *

 _November 30th, 2248_

" _They actually did it. The crusty old traditioned, Chinese traditionalist managed to beat back the New California Republic and the Brotherhood of Steel, all thanks to my warnings of an impending attack on their sacred city. How touching-…but now it's time for me to make my move in this unforgiving wasteland."_ Judge Dredd said, as the news of Operation Golden Wall had been leaked to him by his military contacts.

"As of right now, the New California Republic Congress was preparing to meet in a closed-door session to begin the process of a vote of no confidence against President Tibbett, who they saw as a failure to the legacy of Tandi and blamed for the _"San Francisco Massacre,"_ as citizens have come to call it. The headlines lined the air with anger from the voices of the rich merchant, to the poor beggar. They were angry, yes. They were hungry for prosperity, even if it was at the expense of groups who shared no common goal consistent with their beliefs of how the republic should function. Protestors to President Tibbett after I myself, have found myself to be in a position to finally bring my agenda into the barrell of an New California Republic troopers service rifle, pointed downrange into the back of Head Paladin Pincer." Dredd chuckled to himself, as he continued to walk down the streets of anarchy towards the New California Republic Congress and entertained himself with his thoughts.

" _Head Paladin Pincer, the backstabbing son of brahmin shit this side of California proper thought that he could steal the power that was rightfully mine to begin with. And to think, I used to call him brother…"_ Judge Dredd proceeded to spit into the ground after uttering his last words, before being allowed entrance into the congress by the guards and ushered himself onto the congressional meeting floor.

" _Greetings representatives, senators, councilmen, etc. I apologize for my-…unexpected arrival, but I assure you that I believe it will satisfy any remaining doubt you may have in your mind about President Tibbett."_ The judge said, being met with the eyes of the congressmen from across the republic.

" _Unexpected arrival, yes you are correct about this Judge Dredd. In fact, I don't even recall you ever having received an invitation at all to this closed-door meeting of the representatives of this republic in concern to my conduct of office."_ President Tibbett said, as he stared down the judge who held a light smirk.

" _Madame President, I may have not received an invitation to this meeting concerning your conduct, but I doubt the two-hundred and eighty New California Republic troopers who as of now, are dead under orders given by your office in a sanctioned operation would see much opposition in me being in this meeting, wouldn't you agree?"_ Judge Dredd said.

" _Mr. Dredd, I didn't know that you can hear the recommendations and concerns of the dead. Or is this simply your opinion?"_ Tibbett shot back, clearly unhappy with the judge's presence in this closed congressional meeting.

" _Neither, Madame President. I told you at the beginning of this year that the Brotherhood of Steel would need to be dealt with, yet you at the time refused to listen. Now apparently, I have heard evidence from our own military that when the orders were given to blockade the City of San Francisco, the same Brotherhood threat of intervention was given to which you ignored and sent less than the necessary number of troops needed for such a massive operation and now over most them are dead due to your oversight? These are facts, Madame President. And neither me, nor you, can change how they stand."_ Dredd said, as he crossed his arms.

"Enough, you two. This is not to turn into a personal bickering session over who did and who didn't do what. The Brotherhood actions in San Francisco amount to nothing less than a declaration of war against our republic, and it is time for action." One of the representatives said.

This representative was none other than Speaker of the House Wendell Peterson. A moderate by most standard, but a rather decisive man, who was not in any other manner worthy of discussion. However, in the case of a vote of no confidence, he had to oversee such a proceeding which gave him the most power in this exchange.

"Judge Dredd, although I appreciate your fine work in the law and order aspect of our republic, this matter is purely political and not something you should really be concerning yourself with in these dire of times. Unless you have tangible evidence that you need to present to this congress, I cannot allow you to stay much longer." Peterson said, as he watched the Judge who proceeded to the door to open it up for the viewing of the members.

"I'm his tangible evidence, Mr. Speaker." Lt. Colonel Benji said, as he proceeded to step inside of the room as the Judge shut the door afterwards.

" _I'm Lieutenant Colonel Benji, and I served as second in command to the now deceased Colonel McBride of the 31_ _st_ _Infantry Battalion. I was the only surviving officer of the operation, sir. And by recommendation of Judge Dredd here, I am honored to be speaking in front of the New California Congress and hope that I can be helpful."_ Benji said, as he held onto his hands and looked around the room.

" _Lieutenant Colonel, we are honored to have you here. Do you mind telling us the story from start to finish how the operation went down in San Francisco?"_ Peterson asked, as he took out a pen and a sheet of paper to begin writing.

" _Of course, I shall start from the beginning. On the 19_ _th_ _of this month we received orders from the War Department to deploy a battalion of soldiers for a blockade operation to San Francisco, with the orders apparently directly coming from President Tibbetts office. Colonel McBride after receiving the report questioned why the Brotherhood of Steel were not cited as a possible obstacle, or really even given much reference to in the report but ultimately decided not to question his orders as that was against his nature, orders that would ultimately lead to his downfall in the massacre…"_ Lt. Colonel Benji began to look down at the floor in a small expression of sadness before turning back up to face the members in the room.

" _When we finally arrived in the city, Colonel McBride ordered us to set up camps for the operation and soon sent me into the city to contact the Hubologists, another group operating in the city who was to help us with the conquest of the city. Unfortunately, not long after meeting with them and getting them to agree, they were slaughtered by the Shi Empire in a raid which left us without any allies in the city. It was only the very next day, that the Brotherhood of Steel had proceeded to come from behind us and began to mow down our troops in laser fire. We fought back for only a few minutes, before the colonel gave the order to stand down as he saw the situation as pointless to continue fighting and surrendered rather than lose an entire NCR Battalion to a battle that was unwinnable. It was here that the Brotherhood proceeded to execute half of our soldiers, tossing the rest of us into the sea to which I and twenty other soldiers managed to swim to shore and hence why I'm before you today. Colonel McBride gave his life for the republic, and trusted the orders given to him despite his opposition. I blame President Tibbett directly for this, and with what I heard from Judge Dredd, I think the facts are clear here in the vote against her."_ Benji finished, as he returned to his original position and allowed Judge Dredd to take point.

" _And there we have it boys. President Tibbett is directly responsible for the massacre that occurred in San Francisco, despite repeated warnings from me and the New California Republic military who knew this would be a bad idea. I believe that President Tibbett should be immediately removed from office, and in her place, I should be made President of the New California Republic, along with an immediate declaration of war against the Brotherhood of Steel."_ Judge Dredd said, as he listened to the expressions of the members of the congress.

" _So this is a power grab, huh? You simply want to make me look bad, to take power in this republic for yourself! You don't care about the soldiers, you just want to make me look bad due to me not listening to you. This is nonsense Peterson. He must be dismissed from these hearings."_ President Tibbett said, as she noted the speaker pondering in his thoughts.

" _A power grab? Maybe. But what choice do you all have? My popularity ratings in this republic are high, and my opposition to groups such as the Brotherhood of Steel are known throughout this republic. The New California Republic military supports me as well, and I have proven effective. Not choosing me as president would actually be the stupid option and I'm sure most of the republic would agree." Dredd said with a hint of confidence, as he watched the speaker._

" _I'm inclined to agree with Judge Dredd. He does seem to be on top of the affairs of our republic, and he even managed to make an officer testify against a sitting president. I don't believe we need to wait here any longer. It's time to vote on the matter at hand."_ Peterson said.

It was as if this was too easy of a victory for the judge, as the vote commenced. Not a single representative was up for defending President Tibbett, with the vote being unanimously in favor of the vote of no confidence and official appointment of President Dredd to the Presidency of the New California Republic in a matter of an hour. With Tibbett now deposed from office, it was Dredds turn to make the republic into one favorable for him. And the Brotherhood of Steel in his mind, would only become a footnote in the pages of history.

* * *

 **Authors Note:**

Well, I hope this made for some interesting plot points. I've never really written about battles concerning more then two parties, so I went into more of a summary version of how it went as I thought that to be best to get the major aspects of the battle while not slowing down the pace of the story too much with just banter. I really hope you guys enjoyed this chapter and please leave a review, follow, or whatever you choose to do that shows support. Thank you all in advance.


	28. Chapter XXVIII: Family Roots

_December 25th, 2248_

Christmas Day, a few days before the start of a new year, Washington stood outside of Mojave Outpost, watching the influx of refugees coming into his territory seeking protection from the war out west. According to traveler accounts, the New California Republic was now being led by an ambitious hard-liner by the name of Dredd. An old judge who has persecuted many enclave officials that happened to be caught still residing within the borders of New California. President Dredd as he goes by now, declared two weeks ago that an official state of war now existed between the New California Republic and the Brotherhood of Steel, after a massacre of New California Republic troops in the old town of San Francisco.

Although many in the New California Republic were sympathetic to the cause and some going so far as to declaring it was the only action viable to take under such circumstances, in the back of their minds they knew a full out war against the Brotherhood would be costly. Days after the declaration of war, Brotherhood forces began assaulting NCR Checkpoints, Outposts, and even localized Ranger stations destroying the grip of the NCR on various NCR territories. In response a new offensive was launched to retake these stations, leading to a casualty rate of so far from traveler reports, sixty Brotherhood causalities and over two-thousand New California Republic causalities.

As Washington watched as the refugee's crossed into United Settlement controlled land, he soon felt a pair of fingers running up the back of his outfit towards his shoulder only to turn and see a smiling Katelyn, in her normal Desert Ranger fatigues.

"Has our dear governor come to offer us with a glorious majestic visit? Or has he come to get into a bar fight with a refugee?" Katelyn giggled, as Washington merely shook his head.

After the Census between the two, they have grown a little closer to each other over the months. With Katelyn joking around with him regarding the various scenarios that happened on their journey, and Washington hitting her back with jokes about her "Desert High Horse," which she takes as a compliment.

" _You know, I believe today was some sort of Pre-War holiday. Something about gift giving, sharing, all that goody stuff. Did you in the Enclave ever keep that stuff around?"_ Katelyn asked, to which Washington merely gave a slight nod.

" _Tell me, tell me! Did you all exchange gifts about world domination and genocide? Or, or, stuff each other's socks with weapons of mass destruction?!"_ Katelyn continued to giggle, attempting to get a reaction out of Washington.

Washington however, for the first time to her, seemed agitated by this questioning.

" _I'm not a monster…"_ Washington said in a rather gruff voice, turning to face Katelyn who soon began to lose her sense of humor.

" _I-...I didn't call you a monster? I'm just joking with you, lighten up."_ Katelyn said.

" _No, but you still hold prejudices against the Enclave that you just enjoy extending to me. You make me sound like I woke up every morning with a gun in my hand, and a picture of someone on the mainland who I use for target practice in a highly contained storage vault. And frankly, I'm not going to tolerate it. Not on this wonderful day."_ Washington said, before making his way into the station and into one of the offices.

" _What's his problem today? He usually takes my jokes well."_ Katelyn thought to herself, as a refugee coming across made her way up.

" _Oh, an NCR Ranger! Thank Tandi. Are there any Brotherhood knights or raiders in these territories? I have a family to raise."_ The woman asked, holding onto a child held closely to her chest.

" _I'm not an NCR Ranger, ma'am. And to answer your question, no. There is no Brotherhood, Raiders, or Mutants raiding places in this territory. The governor keeps a tight lid on all activity that may harm his citizens."_ Katelyn said, questioning herself in her mind for sounding more like a bureaucrat then a ranger.

" _Oh, thank you. Your governor must be a kind soul if he believes in this. Please have a wonderful day, and although you may not know much about it, Merry Christmas."_ The woman said, before departing with her women and children with the large groups heading down the road from the station.

" _Merry Christmas? This holiday just gets weirder and weirder. What's the point of it?"_ Katelyn wondered, before her thoughts turned back to the governor.

Katelyn stayed outside for the next ten minutes, attempting to keep her mind of both Christmas and Washington, but was failing miserably. The questions in her mind kept mounting and mounting, wondering why Washington thought of this as a wonderful day, and why he got agitated with her for the joke. She couldn't take it anymore, and decided to go and investigate this herself.

Two firm knocks were not long after heard on the door of the office in which Washington sat in a chair, with his head placed down on the wooden desk in pure frustration.

" _Come in-…"_ he finally said, allowing Katelyn to enter and shut the door only to see him in this rather pitiful state.

" _Washington-…seriously, what's going on with you? First you get upset over a joke I made to you today that you took way too seriously, and now you're just slumped over a desk looking like you're just not in the mood for the day. Talk to me."_ Katelyn said, crossing her arms as she watched him slowly pick his head up.

" _Do you have a living family, Katelyn?"_ Washington asked, slowly turning himself towards her to study the response.

" _I have one brother. He lives somewhere in the New California Republic, but I don't know much else about him. Honestly never got along with him that well, and he's been gone for over a decade with no contact. So, to answer your question, not sure if I do or don't. Doesn't matter either way for me really…I've learned to be on my own."_ Katelyn said, looking down at her feet for a moment in contemplation.

" _So, you're used to being alone? Not having a family around to comfort you, even for those special moments and days which they may make better simply by just being there? If so, I feel sorry for you."_ Washington said.

" _Ah, don't be. I became a Desert Ranger, and use my skills of being alone to allow me to do my job most effectively. Can't operate independently if you're always dependent on someone. Just the way I see it."_ Katelyn said, as she uncrossed her arms.

Although what she said was the truth, a part of her wanted to gag on those words. It was as if her subconscious was in complete disagreement with her experiences, and was actively attempting to battle that very philosophy out from the dark crevices of her mind that it came from. But to Washington, what she said carried a new weight upon his shoulders, and one he was not sure he was willing to undertake.

" _I'm going to tell you a story, Katelyn. And I want this to stay between us. Can you promise me that?"_ Washington asked, looking up to Katelyn who gave a nod of approval.

 _"This is the story of-….my birthday. December Twenty-Fifth, Twenty-Two Twenty-One. Christmas Day…"_

* * *

 _December 25th, 2221_

" _Push honey, push!"_ A man dressed in an Enclave Officer's uniform said, as he watched a woman on an operating table attempting to give birth to a child, surrounded by doctors and nurses.

A high-pitched scream was heard, as the doctors held in their hands a new-born baby who they later handed wrapped up to the now recovering mother.

" _Henry, we did it. We finally got our baby boy."_ The woman said, as he played with the new born baby in her arms who smiled.

" _Yes, we did Heather, after months and years of frustration we finally got a Christmas Miracle."_ Henry said, as he ran a finger upon the top of the child's forehead, smiling towards him.

" _I hope I'm not interrupting a sentimental moment here."_ A man said, as Henry turned to see who it was before promptly standing into a position of attention.

" _President Richardson, I was not expecting your arrival, sir. Have I been misinformed by one of my colleagues?"_ Henry said, as Heather watched the two while still listening to the sounds of her new born baby.

President Dick Richardson, the new President of the United States who was "elected," to the office with the help of his father John Richardson for his first term, and Henry's new Commander-in-Chief.

" _Not at all, Colonel. I merely stopped by to witness the magnificent miracles of life, such as the birth of the next generation of Enclave volunteers. May I, see the child?"_ Richardson asked, to which Henry made way for him to pass by.

As the president approached Heather, the child soon began to get rather fussy as he looked into the face of President Richardson. For reasons nobody could contemplate, the baby did not seem to trust him. And any attempts for the president to hold him was met with kicks, and any form of resistance the baby could give until eventually Heather refused to continue trying, allowing the baby to stay comforted in her arms.

" _That is some child, you have here Colonel. Although, I do hope that the rebellious behavior toward authority shall be improved with time."_ Richardson said, as he looked to Henry.

" _Yes, sir. He is merely a baby, I'm sure he will turn out just fine in the end."_ Henry said, to which the president nodded.

"Well, I shall not take any more of your time Colonel. I believe you wish to spend these valuable moments with your new born, as we both know that those could run out at any time." Richardson grinned, before saying goodbye to Heather before leaving the two alone.

" _That bastard is never touching my child again, Henry. I don't care if he's our boss."_ Heather said, as she watched as the baby tired himself out.

" _It's alright Heather, he's gone. What matters now is that we have the son we always wanted, after all this time. Like the president said, we should enjoy the best of it. He is our Christmas Miracle after all."_ Henry said, as they both looked down at the baby.

" _What should we name him? We can't have him growing up without a name now can we Henry."_ Heather would giggle, as Henry would smile.

" _Nixon, because he's always got tricks up his sleeves from what we just saw."_ Henry chuckled, which was met by a small friendly tap on his arm by Heather.

" _Yes, because he's always a liar. I mean have you seen the dolls that were made for him in the pre-war days? I'm surprised it was even marketable at all. We need a name that is fitting for him, one that will stick with him."_ Heather said.

" _Lyndon? Nah-…too liberal. Franklin? Nah-…had disabilities."_ Henry said, as he continued to think of a suitable name.

" _George? Like George Washington? That seems like a good name, and would fit our little boy nicely."_ Heather said, to which Henry agreed.

" _Then George Washington it is. Welcome to the family, George. One that will always be with you, no matter what happens. You remember that little man."_ Henry said, as he gently rubbed the top of his new born son's head, eventually giving him a small kiss on the forehead followed by Heather who did the same.

* * *

 _December 25th, 2248_

" _George Washington? Who was that? And what do they mean by Lyndon being too liberal? Whatever that means."_ Katelyn asked, more curious than ever.

" _George Washington was the first official President of the United States. He fought a war of independence, against a much stronger adversary on the opposite side of this country, and won. Although he made mistakes along the way, he is revered as a great man. And I believe that on this day, twenty-seven years ago, my parents saw that same potential in me on the day I was born."_ Washington said.

" _Oh…"_ Katelyn said, now the puzzle pieces falling together in her mind as to why Washington reacted earlier in the manner he did to her joke, which now made her feel rather pathetic for doing it. She couldn't have known how sentimental this day was to him, and otherwise wouldn't have done it if she did. Maybe-…maybe she was feeling something for Washington. She just doesn't understand what that is just yet.

" _What about your parents? Did they um-…. die on the Oil Rig Explosion? Did they escape, or maybe the Chosen One got to them?"_ Katelyn asked, watching Washington's form a small smile on his face after she mentioned the last part of her sentence.

" _No, they didn't die in the explosion. And no, they did not escape. But-…the Chosen One is someone I owe thanks to. And one day, I hope to deliver my thanks to him in person."_ Washington said, getting a rather strange look from Katelyn.

"Thanking the Chosen One?! But wasn't it him who destroyed your home?! Why would you want to thank him for destroying the one place you came from?!" Katelyn bursts out into shouts, more confused than she ever had been due to Washington's words.

" _Because-…if it wasn't for the Chosen One. I may never have made it off that Oil Rig-…alive."_ Washington said, beginning to push himself up from the chair.

Before Katelyn could respond with more questions, a finger was soon put over her mouth, indicating he wanted her to keep quiet.

" _I know you have more questions, but I am not ready to give more answers right now. Maybe another time, but for now, this is a story for another day…"_ Washington said, as he proceeded to remove his finger and open up the door.

" _Oh, and by the way. Merry Christmas, Ranger Katelyn. Have a happy holiday."_ Washington said, closing the door as Katelyn watched him leave.

Soon however, Washington noticed he was be trailed by Katelyn and turned around to ask her why she was still following him.

" _If you think you can drop a bombshell on me like that and leave, then you have another thing coming George. Now come on, I may not understand Christmas, but you don't deserve to be alone on your birthday. At least let me buy you some drinks?"_ Katelyn said.

" _You actually think I need you to buy me drinks? I am the governor here you know…"_ Washington said, smiling to Katelyn.

"Yea, and I'm a girl with a Sequoia who is not afraid to use it on boys who refuse to go out with her. Now come on you." Katelyn grinned, as she began walking towards Primm.

" _Hey! I thought only New California Republic Rangers had those. How did you get ahold one?!"_ Washington shouted.

" _Like you said before! That's a story for another day!"_ Katelyn shouted back, soon seeing Washington rush towards her to keep up, both smiling as they walked towards the town.

* * *

 **Authors Note:**

I'm sorry it's taking me a while to get these chapters out. Most of it is due to my increasing workload I'm having to do, in addition to medical issues. Hope you all are still interested in the story despite these delays, and I hope you enjoy the chapter. There is no and can never be an ETA on when they may come up, I just do them when I get time and inspiration.


	29. Chapter XXIX: The Ethics of War

_January 9th, 2249_

Journals of Ida Squad, Senior Paladin Paula, Entry #2;

" _I can't believe it. I actually cannot believe it. The Enclave just straight up disappeared. And not like disappeared temporarily, but completely left the known regions of the Confederacy. Despite Brotherhood supply lines having completely broken down, and only core strongholds of the Confederacy still being held, they simply vanished._

 _The General cautions us to still be vigilant, and begin preparing operations to reconstruct our supply lines to all major settlements, but I honestly think we're not going to run into any more of these Enclave troopers in the Mid-West. Strange though-…they attack Brotherhood outposts, towns, and bunkers, only to leave a few months into the campaign? What is the logic behind this? I'm still quite lost pondering this myself._

 _On the bright side of things, Ida Squad has gotten quite the mouthful of that war against them. Receiving the best and the worst parts of it, at the same time. I'm proud of Ida Squad, and just to show them my gratitude I even got them all three free glasses of water. A small token of appreciation for their dedication, heroism, and loyalty to the Brotherhood cause. Although I hope for this not to just be a Pyrrhic Victory, but only time will tell._

 _According to estimates by the Scribes, we lost over two-hundred men. Some paladins, some not. Acceptable losses according to the General, who has even as a measure of good faith decided to send Lost Hills an update in regards to the hostilities with the Enclave. However, for some reason the response did not seem all that appreciative as to be expected, and the general has called a meeting with the soldiers in order to debrief us on all operations._

 _I just received a knock on the door, so I suppose that's it for this report. I do hope to keep writing these as a written account of our trials and errors, but who knows if anyone will read them? Anyways, Senior Paladin Paula, signing off."_

The computer screen would soon shut fully off, as a woman in a BoS Recon outfit would stand up from in front of it and head towards the door, opening it up.

" _Paula? Are you making that log of yours again?"_ A Brotherhood Knight spoke up, standing in front of Paula with a smile.

" _Yes, Clarence. It's an old tradition of the Brotherhood. I'm sure you must understand that better than anyone, right?"_ Paula said, as she watched him shrug.

" _General's got a whole speech planned for today it seems. Must be something important, but do you have any idea what the topic of it may be?"_ Clarence asked.

" _Whatever it is, it's going to be one given by The Warrior. He didn't get that name, by not packing a punch with whatever he dishes. I'm sure it'll be something worth our time."_ Paula answered.

They soon proceeded down the hallways of the base, seeing the usually busy halls rather empty for the upcoming events. It was ordered that the speech was to be given outside of the complex, in order to accommodate such a mass amount of troops for what everyone hoped for, being a celebration of their sacrifices during the Enclave-Brotherhood war.

As the two headed out of the complex, they saw a total of four platoon-style formations. Filled with paladins, scribes, and even the garrison units attached to the cities they were supposed to be defending. It was the biggest formation Paula and Clarence had ever seen, and they both wasted no time in finding them spots within it.

Not much longer, a man in a suit of T-51b Power Armor strided out of the complex towards the formation. His armor was painted a mix of black and red, with tribal-like markings present on the chest and shoulders, with a neckless of small skulls that hung from his neck. He carried in his hand a wooden-like cane, which complemented his light brown skin complexion. He was unnerved by the platoons, and carefully studied them as he made his way in full view of them all. The General, he's called.

" _Brotherhood! Attention!"_ The general said, causing the Brotherhood to assume a position of attention.

"This, is a time of celebration. A time, for drinks, pleasurable company, friends, family, and a time for self-recollection. A week ago, it was reported by our numerous scouting parties something we had suspected for over a month. The Enclave, has been defeated and have withdrawn from the Mid-Western Confederacy regions! An important feat for sure, and something I wish to give my personal congratulations for everyone here who partook in the campaign! Hoo-rah!" The general said.

"Hoo-rah! General!" The platoons echoed.

" _With those Enclave bastards now gone, under usual circumstances we would rebuild our infrastructure and continue on with our present doctrine. But, before I get into those circumstances. I would like to commemorate a few squads that went above and beyond the call of duty! If I call your squad, I want you to form up in a line in front of me."_ The general said, as another paladin soon came up behind him with a small wooden box in hand.

" _Dagger Squad! Front and center!"_ The general yelled. As five brotherhood soldiers made their way up to the general.

" _From actions extending from the defeat of The Calculator, to the defeat of the Enclave menace, I present Senior Paladin Maximus and his squad with the Brotherhood Medal of Honor. In addition to a promotion of Maximus from Senior Paladin to Paladin Lord. I hope to be seeing much more of your heroism in the coming campaigns."_ The general said, as he took out a medal from the wooden box and placed it on Maximus's armor, before dismissing them.

" _Next up! Falcon Squad!"_ The general said, as the soldiers repeated the actions of Dagger Squad.

" _So, just your standard promotion ceremony?"_ Clarence said to Paula, who shrugged as they continued to watch squad after squad get various medals and other commemorative posts.

" _And last, Ida Squad! Get up here!"_ The general yelled, as Paula, Clarence, and the rest of their squad made their way up to the general.

" _Ida Squad is led by Senior Paladin Paula, the daughter of Paladin Pickton, one of our most loyal and dedicated warriors from out west. It was Paula who managed to give us an edge of the Enclave, by convincing our western chapter to share information, and for these accomplishments and dedication to the cause, including the various battles Ida Squad has been a participant in, I would like to not only present Ida with a Medal of Honor, but officially promote Paula from Senior Paladin to Paladin Commander."_ The general said, attaching the medal onto the her armor while also giving her a few claps before dismissing the squad back into formation.

" _I'm proud to have the privilege to serve in such a disciplined, distinct, and fearless organization such as our Brotherhood of Steel, ever since I was recruited to take the mantle from my squad. However, despite all of the successes we've had and even our various setbacks, we have a new problem we need to address that has nothing to do with our Midwestern Confederacy._

 _In me sending back our report of the hostilities against the Enclave in this region, Lost Hills has transmitted to us that a new war has broken out between the New California Republic and the Brotherhood of Steel. Now I know some of you are veterans of the Brotherhood, and will most likely know what the New California Republic is, but you may not be aware of how much it has grown from what I'm told. The New California Republic, encompassing most of the pre-war State of California, with armies in the thousands, has begun sieging Brotherhood outposts and bunkers including Lost Hills, engaging in fierce engagements with Brotherhood patrols, and overall providing a massive hinderance to operations._

 _Now, I may not have ever been a member of the western chapter nor have we really followed their practices. But, if the Brotherhood Chapter out west falls to this New California Republic, I fear that within decades they'll be coming for us as well. Threatening our Confederacy. I've been in deep thought about the response to such events ever since I was informed of them, and I now believe I know what we must do._

 _It is under my order, that the Midwestern Confederacy shall officially from this day forth be dissolved indefinitely. Establishing a central bunker and headquarters for the region within Vault 0, inside the Mountain Complex. All Brotherhood personnel are to spend the week preparing for an expedition out west by Airship. I know this is sudden, and I know this seems to put to shame all your efforts to defend our territories, but fear not. With our western chapter battling the New California Republic in the north, I have a good feeling about us attacking in the south to split them up and crush them under the might of our combined forces. And knowing how the western chapter operates, we'll be able to set up a new confederacy within the established lands of a dead republic. A gem, indeed._

 _I will not keep you any longer, now. For there is much preparations to be made. If you have any loose ends to tie up here, I would get them handled as fast as possible. The scribes will be working diligently to get the airships fully prepared for launch, and with the decisiveness of our commanders, this New California Republic will not see another sun rise. Hoo-rah!"_ The general yelled!

" _Hoo-rah!"_ Yelled the platoons.

"Brotherhood, you are dismissed!" The general said, as he proceeded to make his way back towards the complex.

As the Brotherhood began to disperse and begin preparations for their new orders, Paula couldn't help but think about all the things happening. From the Enclave disappearing, to the New California Republic attacking the Brotherhood, and an abandonment of the Confederacy as a whole. Oh, and her promotion. She can't forget about that. Even though she just did, with all the information her brain is trying to process.

" _Paula, congratulations of your new promotion. I'm sure with this expedition, you'll be putting it to use very soon."_ Clarence said.

" _Yes, I believe so too. If he's serious about all this, he is going to be taking a force of two-hundred and forty into South California. And that's not even counting the robots in Vault 0 I'm sure he's going to bring. This will be a feat, to accomplish."_ Paula said, as she saw Clarence nod in agreement.

" _He said to be ready within the week. Do you think we'll be appropriately prepared for such an undertaking?"_ Clarence asked.

" _I hope so. For all our sakes. This is very bold. And I'm not entirely sure how my father would've reacted to such events. The General did say that this would basically be a large landgrab in the southern regions of California, as the Western Chapter was never interested in holding land to govern unlike our Chapter. What I hope, is that we can manage to work out the differences with the Western Brotherhood, and not cause further hostilities."_ Paula said, as she began to make her way back into the complex to begin her preparations, followed by Clarence.

* * *

 _January 17th, 2249_

" _Mr. House. I've brought someone to meet with you."_ Washington said, as Quincy and Dr. Crockett followed the governor inside of House's chambers.

" _Delightful. What may I do for you this fine day, governor?"_ House said.

" _Well, House. First, I would like to introduce you to Quincy and Dr. Crockett. Quincy has been with the Enclave since he was born, and Dr. Crockett recently joined us from the out west and brings some very nice scientific knowledge to our upcoming empire. But, that is not the answer to your question. For that, I will allow Mr. Quincy to respond."_ Washington said.

" _Mr. House, it seems I finally get to see your-…computer form in the digital. I guess. I don't like to be long here, so I'll cut to the chase. Are you aware of the Vertibird project at Fort McCarran?"_ Quincy asked, seemingly knowing the answer already judging by his looks.

" _Of course. I tend to keep tabs on what all is going on. And besides that, I am in this council of yours. And I'd say this falls under economics."_ Mr. House replied.

" _Well, we've managed to fully dismantle all existing transportation aircraft at the field with the exception of that may be used for other purposes. The problem though, is that the parts are mostly rusted or outright unusable. It would be chaotic to use most of the equipment, with the exception of things such as seats to rebuild our vast aerial fleet. As our economic councilman, or robot-…we need your help in this."_ Quincy said.

" _Well, I don't exactly have a Vertibird production facility just laying around, if that's what you're implying. And RobCo specialized in robotics. Not, aircraft. But, I may have a solution to your quarry. But first, I must ask what is Dr. Crockett's purpose here."_ Mr. House responded.

" _He's simply learning the ropes, for now. But we are going to place him in charge of recruitment for additional scientist and inventors. And I believe you are one of the best persons, to help him out with that. Oh-…and he worked on rockets."_ Washington said.

" _Rockets you say? How would you get your hands on-…actually, nevermind. I may have some tasks for you to complete for me then Doctor Crockett, but for now onto these pressing matters. Now, Mr. Governor. I may not possess aircraft, but I do possess some manufacturing capabilities. I would recommend looking into the New Vegas Steel plant, outside of Westside if you're in need of some raw materials. If those are good enough, I can probably help meld some equipment together in order to produce your Vertibirds. But, this does not come for free."_ Mr. House said.

" _Now, Mr. House. You already control this city. And everything in it. You're also our economic councilman. What do you mean this does not come free, if we're on the same team?"_ Washington said.

" _Free Market, Governor. It's just how it works. My price isn't steep, but must be delivered and comes in two parts. One, I need New Vegas to get a fresh supply of raw materials. Minerals, that is in order to continue producing what we need to produce. Second, I want a sit-down with the governor alone, on my terms for once, and three Doctor Crockett for an assignment. If these are met, you get your Vertibirds. Simple as that."_ Mr. House said.

" _On one condition, Mr. House. Quincy here is to be given control over the manufacturing process to ensure it all goes to plan."_ Washington said.

" _Deal, governor. Now please, me and Crockett have some valuable work to discuss in relation to his background in rocketry. I'm sure you'll have your hands full with the mining quest, so I wish you good luck!"_ Mr. House said, as Quincy and Washington left the Lucky 38, leaving behind Doctor Crockett to speak with Mr. House.

" _This is a good deal, governor. However, I am at a loss of where we're going to get these raw materials."_ Quincy asked, looking over to Washington as they walked down the New Vegas strip.

" _Well, the good news is that Nevada is a huge mining state, or was. Mainly Gold, Silver, but also some zinc, and other materials. A lot of it's actually in our control, but I believe it's time for me to send out some troops up north to the town of Ely, Nevada to control more."_ Washington said.

" _Ely, Nevada? I haven't heard much from up there, but it may be a good place. We do have the troops for it. How many you thinking on sending up?"_ Quincy asked.

" _Probably no more than a platoon. Sixty soldiers. Ely was never that big before the war, and I highly doubt it's grown. Should be a piece of cake."_ Washington said.

" _Do you want me back at Fort McCarran until we get access to these manufacturing capabilities House is talking about?"_ Quincy asked.

" _Yes, for now return there. Also, if you see Colonel Kreger tell him to ready the platoon to Ely. I want to get that underway as soon as possible, and begin a recruiting effort for miners."_ Washington said.

" _Um, yes sir. I'll get right on it."_ Quincy said, as the two soon parted ways.

* * *

January 23rd, 2249

Journals of Lost Hills, Scribe Elijah, Entry #2;

" _They're really doing it. They're really going at each other. Brotherhood Paladin vs New California Republic Ranger. Knight vs Conscript. Scribe vs-…well, nobody, but maybe the Followers of the Apocalypse? Are they even allied with the New California Republic?_

 _Regardless, it's full out war. My contact with Lost Hills has been pretty much a no-go. I'm not going to attempt to send in reports, if I know the New California Republic has captured some Brotherhood facilities and possibly even decryption codes for our transmissions. It's too risky._

 _Now that I'm officially off-the grid, it has left me to focus more on the research I've gotten from Mariposa. Analyzing the data, categorizing it, it was marvelous. In addition to my studies of the virus, I have captured a few specimens to test a small experimental Forced Evolutionary Virus strand I've been able to cook up, using the formula provided to see if I can get the same results as noted in the reports. The files to which, shall be found in this document."_

* * *

 **Test Subject:** RS-1

 **Test Subject Description:** Commonly known as a "Radscorpion," in the post-apocalyptic world. These venomous predators seem to possess different speeds, some taking their time and others bolting at top speed. Their size ranges from that of a large dog to that of small livestock. RS-1 is classified as a normal Radscorpion of average size in comparison to other Radscorpions encountered. Biggest danger rangers from its stinger, which is present on its tail. Thought to have originated from the North American Emperor scorpion, which were prolific in many pet stores at the time of the Great War.

 **Testing Log:**

RS-1 exposed to F.E.V in controlled environment, administered into its bloodstream by gas form. Subject appeared confused, looking around the room as if searching for something. Soon, it began to attempt speech with an unknown figure, later identified to be the research team itself. After thirty minutes of observation and documentation, I entered the controlled environment in a chemical suit onto which RS-1 reacted positively. RS-1 proceeded to request a chess board which was later provided, and challenged me to a game. I obliged, but was defeated by RS-1 who proceeded to laugh. I soon left the chamber after the defeat.

RS-1 studied for a period of a week, showing increased awareness of its surroundings and proceeded to show discomfort in being confined. Over this time, a small library of books on subjects of Health and Medicine were soon deposited, to which RS-1 promptly began to use the tip of his claws to turn the pages and proceeded to read.

RS-1 no longer begins to experience growth in intelligence or abilities, and the experiment is concluded.

Notes: I will beat RS-1 at chess. This is my priority for this subject.

* * *

 **Test Subject:** RS-2

 **Test Subject Description:** Commonly known as a "Radscorpion," in the post-apocalyptic world. These venomous predators seem to possess different speeds, some taking their time and others bolting at top speed. Their size ranges from that of a large dog to that of small livestock. RS-2 is classified as a Giant Radscorpion. A much larger radscorpion with a more potent venom. These terrifying creatures can reach incredible sizes from livestock to a Corvega. Biggest danger rangers from its stinger, which is present on its tail. Thought to have originated from the North American Emperor scorpion, which were prolific in many pet stores at the time of the Great War.

 **Testing Log:**

RS-2 exposed to F.E.V in controlled environment, administered into its bloodstream by gas form. Subject Proceeded to fall asleep after the administration and stayed asleep for two days.

I soon began to approach the chamber to ensure RS-2 was alive, onto which the scorpion woke up and attempted to kill me, apparently faking being asleep. Subject was put down with a Plasma Rifle. Experiment officially concluded.

 **Notes:** Increased intelligence, but it automatically decided to kill. Maybe the more radiation exposed, the less effective F.E.V. is?

* * *

 **Test Subject:** RS-3

 **Test Subject Description:** Commonly known as a "Radscorpion," in the post-apocalyptic world. These venomous predators seem to possess different speeds, some taking their time and others bolting at top speed. Their size ranges from that of a large dog to that of small livestock. RS-3 is classified as a Radscorpion Queen. A A very rare and special kind of radscorpion which is much larger radscorpion with a more potent venom. Biggest danger rangers from its stinger, which is present on its tail. Thought to have originated from the North American Emperor scorpion, which were prolific in many pet stores at the time of the Great War.

 **Testing Log:**

RS-3 exposed to F.E.V in controlled environment, administered into its bloodstream by gas form. Subject did not immediately show a reaction.

Subject proceeded ten minutes after exposure, to attempt a rampage. Being confined to its cell, it attempted to pinch the bars and partially succeeded in making an escape. Subject put down by Plasma Rifle. Experiment is concluded.

 **Notes:** Radscorpion testing is now to be discontinued. It seems the bigger and more exposed to radiation, the worse reactions I get. RS-1 is the only successful one so far.

* * *

 **Test Subject:** DG-1

 **Test Subject Description:** Commonly known as a "Dog," in the post-apocalyptic world and pre-apocalyptic world. Noted as man's best friend, with a variety of breeds still surviving in the wasteland. Breed of DG-1 is a German Shepard, a common police and military dog and one of the most widely available.

 **Testing Log:**

DG-1 exposed to F.E.V in controlled environment, administered into its bloodstream by needle. Subject watched for three days, showing an increase in muscle mass and size, to that of a Great Dane dog breed.

Subject proceeded to show an increase of intelligence. Beginning to attempt conversation with humans, while still maintaining some dog-like tendencies. Subject was angered when referred to as a "Mut." Biting me on my leg.

Subject began to mimic human behavior. Learning how to walk on two legs, talking in full sentences, and like RS-1, studying various works of literature. Shakespearean literature seems to be his favorite, with his least liked being Homer's The Odyssey. Claiming it "Is as dull as the history of paper."

 **Notes:** This will be the last experiment of this class. However, due to the lack of threat other than dog behavior present, DG-1 shall be adopted as my personal pet.

* * *

 **Test Subject:** HM-1

 **Test Subject Description:** Commonly known as a "Human," in the post-apocalyptic world and pre-apocalyptic world. Not much to say that isn't obvious. Subject stands 5'6, weighing around 150 pounds. Male subject.

 **Testing Log:**

HM-1 exposed to F.E.V in controlled environment, administered into its bloodstream by needle. Subject began to experience hallucinations, and began to babble.

Subject proceeded to show confusion as to where he was, and began to vomit every two minutes. Subject claimed he was in immense pain, and requested to be killed.

Subject began to shake rapidly, before collapsing onto the ground. Skin began to turn into a pale green color, with muscles beginning to enlarge.

Subject began to grow in size, reaching the size of an average super mutant. With decreased intelligence. Subject began to engage in slurred speech, and was eventually put down by Plasma Rifle.

 **Notes:** Maybe if I altered some of the virus with cells from a human brain, it might be able to increase intelligence or even make it more stable for humans.

* * *

" _With the information I have gathered, I shall be moving on to increasing amounts of human trials. Fortunately, with the Brotherhood-NCR war, I may be able to extract enough brain cells from the dead soldiers to continue my work without delay. I guess it's time for me to go on the hunt, so I'll end it here. This is Scribe Elijah, signing off for now."_


	30. Chapter XXX: Beginning to an End

_January 27th, 2249_

 _"Name and profession, please."_

These were the first words spoken by the soldier manning the desk at Mojave Outpost. They were not special, they were simple and to the point. Just what I wanted really, but it surely did leave an impression.

" _Rong. Mr. Rong. I'm diplomatic envoy from San Francisco, the Shi Empire."_ I said, as I watched as the soldier began to mark down some information on his piece of paper that sat next to what I could only assume to be his morning cup of coffee.

" _Mr. Rong, from San Francisco. Alright, I gotta have a few more records for the books. Mind stepping to the wall over yonder?"_ The soldier said, pointing to a nearby empty space of wall.

Without argument, I obliged. Their land, their rules. I would expect no less in my own city.

As I stepped over to the wall, I took note that I was being approached by another soldier who held in his hand a small camera. It soon came to me exactly what the full purpose of this was. As he made me pose perfectly still in front of the wall, only for the flash to capture all my facial attributes, I realized that my identity could no longer fully by my own secret.

" _That ought a do it. Alright Mr. Rong, give us a few moments to print out your official United Settlement passport, and you'll be good to go."_ The soldier said.

 _"Thank you."_ I said. Thinking back to my mission as my photographer disappeared into one of the rooms of the outpost.

According to United Settlement regulation, established by Governor Washington of these territories months earlier, all travelers to the United Settlements must possess a valid piece of identification. As this would prove to have otherwise been difficult to enforce, simply relying on people to be honest, a passport system was established to ensure that each person had one identity. All signed with the governor's signature, and approved by a commanding officer of the post in which it was issued.

All this however, meant that I would need to work rather quickly in order to achieve the goals set forth by my emperor.

The men soon returned with my passport, freshly made. It wasn't much. Merely a small black book, with official writings of the government and stamps, but marked as a "United Settlement Passport."

As he handed me the passport, I was about to open my mouth to ask questions, but was stopped by the soldier.

" _Diplomatic envoy, huh'? Who exactly are you here to see, Mr. Rong. And how do I know that you're legitimate."_ The soldier asked.

" _Well, for one. I'm Chinese. I doubt you have many Chinese people in these parts of the Mojave. Nor, do I doubt that you have any Chinese people claiming that their a diplomatic envoy from the Shi Empire. Because, why would they?"_ I responded, watching as they studied me.

My clothing wasn't much. I honestly could've passed as a merchant, or maybe a mercenary of some sort. Casual outfit, different from Chinese heritage in order to blend. The only sights that gave away that I was Chinese had to be my accent, which was near impossible to fake.

" _No-…I suppose not. I guess you are the first person claiming to be a diplomatic envoy at my checkpoint, and I don't feel like giving the brass something to chew my ass out over if I screw up. I'm going to give you an escort of two soldiers to take you to the Governor's mansion, and I will have my commander contact them to let them know you are coming. I hope-…the meeting is productive."_ The soldier said, as he proceeded into another room, presumably to inform his superiors.

Pretty soon, I was being escorted out of the outpost, making our way inland towards the governor's mansion.

It appeared to me then, that this nation of theirs had been making progress in terms of technological development. Old Pre-War motorbikes, seemed to be utilized by the soldiers at the outpost for faster modes of transportation and even a few pre-war vehicles seemed to be getting serviced by a maintenance crew. Overall, I was very impressed in terms of how quick all of this seemed to be set up.

The journey to the mansion was rather, bumpy. Having to go on detours, and what not to avoid the large pile-up of vehicles still present since the great war on many major roads, to the outright lack of infrastructure in some areas. It took a little over an hour, but eventually we finally made it to our destination.

It was quite a sight to see the governor's mansion. In a way, it reminded me much of the Steel Palace. Large amounts of security present, a few encompassing the entire property, even tents and such for troops to sleep and a small pond. It may not be the most enclosed like the palace, but it indeed was secure.

With my security detail assigned at the outpost, I was easily able to make it past the guards at the gate and into the courtyard of the building where I could be given a closer look at the conditions of the troops who resided in the tents.

The soldiers didn't seem to mind much. A fire was going in the middle of the camp with a few soldiers joking around and drinking a little alcohol. Other soldiers were reading, some were cleaning their rifles, some of them where exercising, among other things. Although, what did stand out to me as I walked with my escort is the apparent lack of a warrior's mask, as I like to call it.

The warrior's mask, is like a badge of honor. It is worn in the metaphorical sense, and is only used in said sense. It basically is someone who has seen the horrors and glory of combat, and has not only survived, but has come to see the realities of war at its core and thus, is left with an almost permanent composure that not only screams battle hardened, but ready to bleed until the job is done.

This gave me a small moment of clarity when it came to this army. Although they may have some "training," in regards to weapons, survival, and maybe some tactical pointers, they were lacking in the experience department. And thus, have not fully come to grasp the Art of War, as written by Sun Tzu.

My thoughts on the army were now no longer of interest, as we had reached the main doors to the mansion. As I stepped inside, I could smell not dust and decay like wasteland has gotten men accustomed to, but the smell of-…cooking?

Yes, it must be cooking. Dust does not have such a scent, despite how old it may lay within the halls of decrepit institutions. The smell, it came from a room I could not seem to identify first hand, as the air wisped of roasting meat. Tender, it must be, but I'm getting ahead of myself.

Climbing the stairs, I was then brought in front of a door and told to wait by my escort as they knocked and entered the room.

In no more then what most have been ten seconds, the door opened and I was allowed inside, with the door shutting smoothly behind me.

In front of my eyes, I gazed at a man in his twenties. He had the look on his face of ambition, something I've seen not a lot of in recent years. He smiled at me, standing up from his desk cluttered with documents and other amenities.

"Mr. Rong, welcome to the United Settlements of America." The man said, making his way around the table and extends out his hand.

I smile back, giving him a firm handshake before he retracts.

" _Thank you. I suppose you are Governor Washington? It is a pleasure to meet you, despite our various cultural and historical differences."_ I said, attempting to be diplomatic.

"Yes, that I am. And the pleasure is all mine, Mr. Rong. You must be hungry from your trip from San Francisco? I'm sure you haven't had a good meal probably since." Washington said.

"I am feeling a little peckish, but I don't bel-…"

"Nonsense!" Washington said, cutting me off.

" _It would be absolutely rude for me to invite a guest into my humble home, and not offer him a serving of lunch. Now come to the dining hall, we have much to discuss and a meal to partake in. And I won't take no for an answer."_ Washington said, making his way out of his office.

I would've objected, but as he left so quickly, I couldn't. And if I'm being honest with myself, I'm quite the novice in the diplomatic game. I'm here on behalf of the emperor, not personal gain. I suppose me attending this lunch is for the best.

I followed the man out, as my thoughts about him continued. Ambitious, dedication, cunningness? Surely, there was a reason he must be wanting me to come to lunch with him. My thoughts however again went dead, as the earlier smell of food pulled out me with a much stronger allure then before. I must have only been upstairs for only a few moments, but it seems the food must have only gotten better.

We soon came to a rather open room, with a large dining table and chairs placed around it. The room had windows to look out at the perimeter, but not much else was noticeable in terms of décor.

I was soon guided to my seat, as the governor took his seat. An eerie silence soon followed, as the governor seemed to be arranging his silverware on the table, as a servant girl seemed to be helping prepare my side of the table and an empty chair.

" _You know, the Great War. Why do you think it was so great?"_ Washington said, as he looked over to me.

" _I would say that it's because it ended civilization as we know it, governor."_ I responded, having not the slightest idea what he was going for here.

" _But, it didn't end civilization? I mean, me and you are talking in the middle of a growing nation in the middle of a desert. And you have a Chinese ancestry, and you're surviving. So clearly, civilization is going forward."_ Washington said.

" _In light of recent events out west, governor. I would say civilization is going in the manner opposite of history."_ I said.

I watched as he nodded, pondering over my words. As he pondered my words for a response, I pondered my words as well, but for a different reason. Civilization is going backwards. Even my own city of San Francisco is built on old ideals of feudalism, while the groups such as the Brotherhood stay in cave-like bunkers, refusing to share. It all, was becoming clearer.

" _I guess, there is some truth in that statement. Never the less, we never really answered my question. Civilization is undergoing a change, but that does not mean that it's over. I posed you this question in order to bring up a theory. World War I. The first Great War, as they called it, centuries ago."_ Washington said.

" _World War I? I'm sorry, but the first Great War? Has-…has the earth been nuked into such an age century ago as well?"_ I asked, now intrigued.

These were the words not given to the average soldier. The history of our world seemed rather unimportant, compared to the struggles of the now. Very unwise now that I think of it. If we don't know our past, how can we make our future? I questioned.

" _No, the earth has not been nuked twice as we know it. The first great war happened in the 1900's. A conflict between the nations of the United Kingdom, France, and Russia against the German Empire, Austria-Hungary, and the Ottoman Empire. With nations such as Japan, Italy, and even the United States entering and playing other roles. It was the War to end all Wars, they called it. And all it was, was brutal trench warfare, artillery, and the first models of airplanes. But ended with the destruction of empires, across the globe."_ Washington said, as he was stopped by the servant girl pouring him a drink in his glass.

" _I do not understand governor. What's World War I have to do with our conversation about civilization?"_ I asked, confused at this history lesson I was receiving.

"Mr. Rong, please. Simply listen. World War I was a tragedy to those involved, and it was debated for years and decades after it if the Second World War stemmed from the causing of the first and what would have been a better outcome. Yet, nobody speaks of the light in which the wars have given us. After World War I, massive political changes occurred throughout the world, even in China who assisted the United States in the war with the British, French, etc. The Second World War was no different. And for a time, it looked as if humanity was learning from its mistakes. Yet, here we are. Centuries later, calling another conflict "The Great War," like it's never going to be topped by another if we keep going on like we are." Washington concluded.

"Keep going on like we are. People are starving, being enslaved, and other despicable actions that are taking place all over the wasteland. What exactly are you referring to when you say keep going like we are?" I asked.

" _Why, that's simple Mr. Rong. Unity. The Wasteland, needs unity. It needs someone to bring it together. To forge a common destiny for man to be proud of, without the internal struggles that have hindered it's progress since the moment humans stepped out from their caves of ancient history. Mr. Rong, you came here as a diplomatic envoy from a culture that is partially responsible for the destruction of the globe and the humans within it. Although the United States also shares the other half of this blame, it has led us to have some rather deep bad blood in regards to such an exchange. So, I only have a request from me to you, Mr. Rong before I finally allow you the moment you've been waiting on since you've arrived."_ Washington said, as the servant began to place down plates of food in front of the governor, and me.

" _Don't come asking for trouble, nor try and play us off each other. Not that I believe you will, but I have a feeling you came here to request of my government to cooperate with your government in order to achieve some objective you feel is necessary given your current-…conditions. Now, please say what you've been wanting to say."_ Washington said.

He is wise, I'll also give him that. He may be young, and a bit upfront, but he has shown me that he is worthy of this old dogs respect.

" _Very well, governor. I have come with a request from my Emperor. We are requesting help from your "Enclave," as we know them, to teach some of our residents how to fly a plane."_ I finally said.

" _A plane? Like, a full-on airplane? Why do you want to learn that? And what has made you come all the way to Vegas to ask that?"_ Washington inquired, picking up some of the food on his plate and proceeds to eat.

" _It's a confidential matter as to the reason, governor. But I assure you that it is not to harm your nation. The Emperor felt the need to request the knowledge of someone experienced. The New California Republic doesn't know anything about piloting an aircraft, and the Brotherhood are completely hostile to us. You are the only hope we have."_ I explained, being as truthful as I could.

" _The only hope? Well, then that gives me quite the bargaining power. I'll agree to your request, but on one condition. If we give your pilots this training they so desire, we request that the Shi send us copies of all scientific data they have gathered over the many years I know you've been developing technology."_ Washington said.

Our technology? No, no. That's our lives work in San Francisco. Our technology has been what has kept us alive, and now they wish to have copies of our work? I was half tempted to just outright say no, but like he said, he's my only hope to get what I need in a timely fashion.

" _I'll-…need to send word to my Emperor about this proposal. But say we agree, how soon will the training commence?"_ I inquired, finally beginning to touch the food in which I was served after smelling the aroma for far too long.

"Immediately. I will require your pilots to be sent here to the Mojave for the training, in order to keep it rather low-key. We'll get them trained up in possibly-…. eight weeks through a rigorous training program, and they'll be good to go. Although the timing is not ideal for training, if you need these pilots fast, eight weeks is the absolute minimum. Unless you could allow for more time." Washington said.

" _I'll relay this to my Emperor, and send word of my answer."_ I said, as I proceeded to eat in silence.

" _I'm sorry, I'm late. Had some idiot I had to track down."_ A voice said, who appeared be dressed in a manner similar to a New California Republic Ranger.

" _Who's the other party? I didn't agree to a threesome tonight now."_ She giggled, looking over to Washington who merely shook his head.

" _Katelyn, this is Mr. Rong. He's a diplomat from the Shi Empire. We were just concluding business."_ Washington said, as the servant girl from earlier would return with a plate for Katelyn.

" _Well, I sure hope it's concluded. Because I'm not in the mood for shop talk."_ Katelyn said, as she would proceed to eat.

The rest of the lunch mainly concerned the two of them discussing various aspects of their nation, as I silently took pleasure in the skill of this cook who had prepared this fine meal. I must make sure I send my compliments to the chef, before this is over.

Once lunch concluded, the governor gifted me one of the motorcycles to ride back to San Francisco on to which I gave him thanks. Although I've never driven one of these, I couldn't have been that hard to learn, right? Well-…the road from Las Vegas to San Francisco should in theory come out around eight hours or so. It took me fifteen, just trying to get used to the controls of such a machine. For the Emperor! Was my driving source on the hours long ride back.

* * *

 _January 29th, 2249_

Journals of Ida Squad, Paladin Commander Paula, Entry #3;

" _This is Paladin Commander Paula, doing another report for the record. This time, it will be in relation to my new position and the upcoming battles with the New California Republic. I'll start from the beginning here. After I received my promotion to Paladin Commander, I was immediately the second in command to Paladin Lord Maximus. Now, I have worked with Maximus in the field a few times to know how he likes to work._

 _He's elite. He's deadly, and he's dangerous. He reminds me a lot of Head Paladin Rhombus, back out west. The stories I would here about him. And his mysterious disappearance in the Texas regions, was just the tip of the ice berg, but that's a story for another day_

 _No, Paladin Lord Maximus was a new breed. Where Rhombus succeeded in driving out the Vipers, Maximus was confident he could do the same to the New California Republic. Especially if they have to divide their forces to fight two enemies._

 _Before embarking on our airship, we call "The Rhombus," in a nod to the Head Paladin, outfitted with nearly three hundred soldiers, The General and Maximus began to come up with their plan of attack once they reached California. Maximus's strategy was to fight more of a protracted war, hit and run attacks across the southern region to divert pressure from the north to then decimate any New California patrol that may stumble south to investigate what is going on. The General however, had a different plan._

 _Rather than give the enemy any warnings of what they were about to do, The General decided to slice at the heart of the republic. Targeting the capital of Shady Sands, and burning it completely to the ground. Once this was accomplished, it was planned to push on to the New California Republic town of The Hub, slaughtering the inhabitants in order to force the New California Republic to surrender and a Shock-an-Awe inspired tactic, inspired by the Enclave assaults on the Brotherhood in the Mid-West. Obviously, this strategy won out._

 _I have been given command over a section of Paladins and Knights, in order to lead the initial charge once we arrive. I'm both nervous, and excited. The New California Republic has always been a pain to the Brotherhood and it's about time something is done about them. I'm nervous however, of our western chapter. Will they welcome us back into the fold with open arms? Or will there still be tension?_

 _Vault 0 has been left with a skeleton crew, on an off-topic note. Twenty scribes, ordered to remain sealed and keep up the maintenance along with the robots until further instructions are given. They should be fine, but I don't know how long it'll be until we can safely reestablish contact with them._

 _We've been on this airship thirteen days heading west, and I'm ready to see some action. I've been told that we should arrive at Shady Sands within the next few days and to be ready, as the fighting is expected to be quick. I'm sure the Republic won't even know what hit them, as we are to leave no survivors…_

 _Anyway, that's it for me. Paladin Commander Paula, signing off."_

* * *

 **Authors Note:**

A lot going on in this chapter, but I can tell you that the west is about to be feeling the flames of what forges steel. Get it? But really, we got a lot going on. I hope I can get writing these a bit more quickly, because a lot of this is just build up, but like i said we got a LONG way to go and I'm merely trying to get an endpoint together just to end Chapter I of Manifest Destiny. But don't worry, I do have an ending planned. It may take maybe-...ten-twenty or so more chapters, but I don't plan on this lasting too much longer as I've covered an entire year of time which I feel is a lot. Anyway, hope you all enjoy and will ride this with me to the end!


	31. Chapter XXXI: Contingency Plan South

February 4th, 2249

In the halls of Hidden Valley, activity remained high between the various Brotherhood cliques and members. The Paladins were going through their training routines, the scribes going through holotapes, the knights performing necessary maintenance on equipment. A well-oiled machine, at least what it seemed to me.

As I walked through the halls, I'm reminded of our fellow bunker brothers, who have also been added to the list of the fallen. The New California Republic with their new President Dredd, sure is putting a damper on Brotherhood operations throughout New California.

Although the losses on the Brotherhoods side as of now weren't particularly cause for alarm just yet, we were losing men I would have rather kept. Already we've suffered forty causalities since the war begin, although we've been given the New California Republic a run for their caps. We also have already lost one of our bunkers deeper south in New California Republic territory, with another bunker on the breaking point in terms of supplies. This was a matter that needed to be brought up at the Elder's Council.

As I finally approached the meeting room and was allowed in, I was met with the glare of High Elder Jeremy Maxson, as well as a few other members of the Elder Council.

"Ah, good to see you Elder Tippons. We have much to discuss." He said, as I nodded and proceeded to find me a chair.

" _I believe there is no longer a need to prolong this waiting period, so I shall just get right to the beans of this discussion. As we all are aware, and from the reports I have received from Head Paladin Pincer, the war against the New California Republic is proceeding at a snail's pace. So far, we have been unable to secure strategic assets from the republic, under fear of losing our valuable but very limited resources we have found ourselves constrained to. Throughout the month of December and into January, Brotherhood and New California Republic Rangers and Troopers have been engaged in small battles along the interstates, highways, and small outposts with the New California Republic baring the brunt of defeats. It should however be noted, that the New California Republic has managed to secure an entire Brotherhood bunker, and another is on the verge of falling into the hands of our enemies. This must be addressed."_ Another elder spoke up.

The man was Elder Eastland, a hard-nosed Brotherhood Paladin from the days of fighting Masters Army in 2165, a long-time veteran of the Brotherhood of Steel. Eastland was known for his more militarized planning impact on all decisions of the Brotherhood, including on simple matters such as the capture of technology. He was less concerned with the technology as a whole, but rather the resources and means of acquiring that technology and the sustainment of such means in the long-term. A long-term planner.

" _Elder Eastland is correct, I do believe the loss of the Brotherhood bunker should not be taken as a mere consequence of war, but also as a failure on our strategy to properly secure said bunkers and appropriately launch counter-offenses were need be. Has Head Paladin Pincer been saying anything in relation to his plans for the bunker?"_ The High Elder asked.

" _Negative, High Elder. The Head Paladin has been more concerned with the affairs in the south east, that he believes it to be an acceptable loss. I believe he plans to split up the bulk of the army, causing them to be on the defensive of their cities rather than on an offensive track which seems to be the case. If I may, High Elder. I do believe we need to start discussing a more-…controversial topic."_ I said, watching the High Elder look at me with a curious look on his face.

" _What controversial topic are you referring to Elder Tippons? Does it have to do with the Brotherhood Codex?"_ The High Elder asked.

" _Not at all, sir. Rather it has to do with succession. The new President of the New California Republic is Judge Dredd, who as the name would suggest, used to be a judge in the republic under both the Tandi and Tibbett administrations before Tibbett was ousted. What may not be known however, is that Judge Dredd used to be a member of our Brotherhood. A dangerous prospect, which I feel is never discussed by these meetings."_ I said.

Oh boy, did I say it. Traitor and Brotherhood in the same sentence, yet very appropriate for the situation they found themselves in. It was true though. President Dredd used to be a member of the Brotherhood of Steel, achieving the rank of Knight before completely leaving them after some disputes about the Codex.

Although his decision to withdraw himself from the ranks and procedures of the Brotherhood, it came across as a small shock to have one of their members just walk out on them, seemingly without much reason being noted.

" _Elder Tippons, you know as well as I do that the main reason we do not discuss the implications of Knight Dredd, is because we would like to wash our hands of the various activities in which our dear knight has felt himself accustomed to being involved in. Calling him a member of the Brotherhood of Steel would be a betrayal of everything we stand for, and we would not gain much from opening up a discussion into him."_ The High Elder replied.

" _Yes, High Elder. But that is not the reason why I wish to bring him up. I believe, that it may be time to start entertaining the possibilities that in order to preserve the Maxson family line in the Brotherhood, you must have your child Paladin Johnathan moved to a separate location, away from this NCR-Brotherhood war we are found engaged in. I do not propose this to wish us ill-will, but I am trying to be more realistic about our situation. If the New California Republic continues to take out our various bunkers, it is only a matter of time before we at Hidden Valley are surrounded. And if the Brotherhood on the West Coast is to survive, we must have contingency operations in place."_ I said.

"I concur with Elder Tippons. We cannot risk the Brotherhood falling apart during these trying times. Although I do have confidence in Head Paladin Pincer's military capabilities, we must ensure that the survival of the Brotherhood of Steel is not to be hinged on a battle gone wrong." Elder Eastland said, gaining a friendly nod from me.

"Although a Contingency Plan may not be a bad idea, and I am not against sending my own son away on an expedition to set up another Chapter, we must take into account the location in which this team may be se sent. The west would obviously not be a great idea, and the Mid-West is rather-…rogue. This leaves only the eastern regions, and the southern regions." The High Elder said.

" _I have actually been looking into that High Elder, and I do believe I have found a suitable location for you to send this expedition if we are to give a final approval on such an endeavor. The state of Florida in the Gulf Commonwealth. Due to Florida's military value even in the pre-war days, and the lack of any information really coming out of the region, I believe it will be a great place to set up new grounds for the Brotherhood, recapture important military technologies, and build up in a territory away from the New California Republic. And from the accounts of fallen Head Paladin Rhombus, it remains a rather lawless land."_ I said.

" _I actually have a different opinion, High Elder. I believe if we are to send out this expedition, we should send it out east towards Washington D.C., the Capital. In the heartland of the entire United States government of the older generation, it is practically a guarantee that we should be able to find some great technologies and be able to build our Brotherhood even stronger then it is as of late. I just feel we would have a bigger payoff going east, then going south into the Gulf Regions."_ Elder Eastland said.

" _You both raise some good points, but I do believe that with the information from late Head Paladin Rhombus about the Super Mutants operating in those regions, I feel that it is more of our responsibility to send an expedition out into the Gulf Commonwealth to set up a chapter of the Brotherhood. The only thing I feel needs to be settled is who shall be sent out on this expedition?"_ The High Elder said.

" _Paladin Johnathan and his wife Jessica Maxson are guarantees. I am also considering Paladin Owyn Lyons, Scribe Reginald Rothschild, Paladin Henry Casdin, Paladin Ishmael Ashur, Paladin Tristan, and even Scribe Elijah."_ Elder Eastland said.

" _Are you sure we wish to send Elijah out east? He is out on collection missions for a reason, let us not forget."_ I said, looking to Eastland.

" _This is exactly why I believe he is a perfect candidate for the expedition. Not only do we get rid of Scribe Elijah from the west coast entirely, but he does have his merits in the field of science that the Brotherhood could use. In addition to the ones I named, I'm sure I could round up a few more before the final expedition. I'm aiming for at least fifteen to start off with."_ Elder Eastland said.

" _I'll trust your Judgement Elder Eastland. You always did have a knack for long-term planning, so I hope this does indeed work out as you would hope. I will support this strategy High-Elder, if you are indeed going to go through with it."_ I said, giving a slight nod to the High Elder.

"I believe you too just did most of the work for me, ha. If we're all indeed in agreement, I believe that there is no use in furthering this meetings length. I will leave the planning of the expedition to Elder Eastland, to see how many men he can round up and let's just hope it goes well." The High Elder said, before dismissing us.

Hope it goes well. Yes, let's hope it does.

* * *

 **Authors Note:**

You know how I said this would be over in like 10 or so chapters? Let's lower that to around, five as a rough estimate. This story is actually soon to end, as I hate dragging on a concept for a long period of time for things such as this. I won't tell you exactly what will happen in the next few chapters, but expect dramatic shifts in terms of canon lore factions. Anyways, hope you like the chapter, review, etc. See you next time!


	32. Chapter XXXII: One Down, More to Go

February 10th, 2249

" _It's gone…it's actually gone."_ President Dredd said to himself, after recently learning of the destruction of the entire town of Shady Sands a few days ago by General

The Brotherhood came outta the shadows of the night, and struck like a flaming hot lightening boat. Their armor, rather a mix of Power Armor and some with odd color schemes fed the NCR Garrison beams of laser rifle, and there was little they could do back.

Dredd had been lucky. He had been on the outskirts of Shady Sands with a Ranger escort when the Brotherhood attacked. He watched as almost a horde of Brotherhood Knights and Paladins rush the city from every side. One part of him wanted to fight, when he saw this. Show the Brotherhood the real meaning of war, at least to ease his mind. The other part of him simply wanted to run. Fight or Flight response, he guessed, but ultimately the decision on what to do was not his to make.

That night, he was whisked away from the city by his ranger escort. A Vertibird was contacted, stolen from Camp Navarro by the New California Republic military and named, Bear Force One. The Presidential Vertibird of the New California Republic.

He never knew the true fate that would befall the town when he left. He originally had only hoped that the Brotherhood was attacking Shady Sands to attempt to locate and capture him, to force a surrender, but from the reports he was receiving from the New California Republic Troopers, this didn't seem to be the case.

This was deliberate, almost as if the plan was to sack the city right from the start. Innocents were slaughtered, children were seemingly kidnapped, and the NCR was none-the-wiser on finding out the location of this Brotherhood expeditionary force.

It was obvious to Dredd that this force had to have mobility, in order to move large amounts of troops such as that directly to the capital of Shady Sands without drawing attention from passing patrols, or other combat ready formations who would take note of a large power-armored clad force marching it's way in the direction of their base.

However, they did it, didn't matter. What mattered to Dredd, was striking back. And right now, he had the perfect target. Lost Hills…

After the attack before learning the true fate of Shady Sands, Dredd felt that it was time to return the favor the Brotherhood had given him by attacking the capital of his republic. He ordered the NCR Military to stop their focus on the smaller bunkers, in favor of enforcing a perimeter blockade around the honorary "State of Maxson." Effectively forcing the Brotherhood to confront the republic on its own terms if it ever exited the bunker.

The original plan at first, was only meant to be a blockade to attempt to starve them out, but now with the outright loss of Shady Sands, he felt it was time to repay the Brotherhood for all it had done, by order the NCR Military to deploy as many Artillery formations of Howitzers into the State of Maxson to begin shelling the bunker directly, until the bunker is no more than a pile of a rubble.

He no longer cared about attempting to capture the stolen technology the Brotherhood hoarded over the centuries. No, he wanted total annihilation. He wanted to break the spirit of the Brotherhood who by now, had taken so much from him ever since he served in the Brotherhood as a Knight.

The Brotherhood were as crooked as any gangster in the post-war era. They were corrupt, holding up the ideals of the original founder Maxson without much care for his goals. Stealing from the people they were supposed to be helping, by denying them the means to grow and develop into a responsible and prosperous society. Shunning the old methods of book and record keeping of knowledge, for weapons and offensive tech.

In short to Dredd, the Brotherhood had become the exact breed of mentality that it swore to destroy. It has become the embodiment of every decision that led the world to destroy itself. Funny, he thought. _"The Brotherhood is its own destruction. How poetic is that?_

 _At one point, you would think the Brotherhood deserves some type of redemption for the work it has done over the centuries it has been alive. Maybe some, credit it deserves from making the wasteland less horrific, but if anyone were to find a track record to prove this would be amazing._

 _I will never forget that it was the Brotherhood who sent the Vault Dweller on a suicide mission into The Glow. It was the Brotherhood who sat in a bunker, with weapons and armor unmatched in the wasteland when Masters Army began to threaten the wasteland and issue humanity an upgrade. It was the Brotherhood who attempted to take the credit for destroying Masters Army after the Vault Dweller killed The Master, despite the fact there were low casualities for both sides between the Brotherhood and the remnants of Masters Army. And it was the Brotherhood who stood by, while the Chosen One stopped the remnants of the United States Government from committing global genocide. Overall, not a single instance of compassion from the Brotherhood, no real desire to help._

 _I actually spoke a lot with Paladin Lyons about these issues back when I was a Knight, maybe a decade ago. I questioned Brotherhood history, started going against orders to bring back salvage, always having an excuse to get out of duties I felt served not the common interest. I'm not an evil man, just a driven one, but if I must commit actions that may be contrary to what I see is for the common good, then so be it. The Brotherhood laid out their terms for a war against the people I care about, so I will happily oblige them by doing the same right in their own backyard._

 _I'm getting ahead of myself. Although these all influenced my decision to leave the Brotherhood, the Enclave was the final straw. When the Enclave Oil Rig exploded off the coast of California, and the Chosen One returned back to the mainland with his villagers and family, this was the time for the Brotherhood to take the initiative created by the Chosen One and engage in a ruthless campaign to hunt and terminate any and all remaining Enclave members, cells, and front operations to rid them from the west coast. Did the Brotherhood do this? Of course not, we stayed in a bunker. No drive to do a damn thing about the very people who caused the Brotherhood to be founded in the first place._

 _High Elder Maxson must be seething in his grave, if he were to see the mess the Brotherhood has found itself in. If Global Genocide doesn't spur you into action, then what will? Once I couldn't find a legitimate answer to my questions, I couldn't keep it up anymore. I couldn't make any more excuses to myself of why the Brotherhood was inactive in keeping the very values it supposedly held so dear, only to hide when the call to action was put out. I left, and never looked back._

 _I managed to find some work from there in the New California Republic, especially inside the judicial arena which didn't seem to have many prospects. Rose my way up to Judge of Shady Sands, where I was going to put those star-spangled fuckers on trial for every vile action they engaged in since before the Great War. Only I understood the pain of the ones lost on the day of the bombs. Only I could put it back together, and I refused to let President Tibbett get in the way of that. I refuse to allow the Brotherhood to win, and I sure as hell refuse to allow the New California Republic to fall. Not today, not tomorrow, not ever! I think it's time to call in those favors…"_ Dredd said, as he spent the day organizing various couriers to deliver messages to a few towns.

* * *

February 12th, 2249

" _Shady Sands, gone?! And the Brotherhood is responsible?!"_ Head Paladin Pincer said, after hearing the news from one of his paladins.

" _Yes, Head Paladin. According to the information I've gathered, a Brotherhood contingent has attacked and burned down the town of Shady Sands, and kidnapped children. There is nothing left."_ The paladin replied.

" _Paladin, this is not at all acceptable. Who is the Paladin who ordered it? Who took part in it? I need some answers here."_ Pincer replied, his blood internally boiling at the news.

"We are trying to figure it out, si-…" The paladin was cut off by the sound of a loud anger filled scream that began to pierce his ears.

Head Paladin Pincer began to bang his hand on the desk after saying each word, as he spoke.

" _Find me who did this, paladin. Or your position here will cease to exist!"_ Pincer yelled, as the paladin acknowledged and hurriedly made his way out from the sight of Pincer.

Unacceptable…...disobeying my orders…. burning the whole damn city? The whole thing? I only wanted the Congress down and hopefully President Dredd. How could it have gone so wrong? Now the Brotherhood labeled as slavers of the wasteland, no different from the degenerates running around in New California.

There would be retribution. Pincer was sure of that. "I will have my-…" Pincer stopped.

What was that? An explosion?

Pincer picked up his weapon from his desk as he rushed to the area he supposedly heard an explosion, and stopped once he saw an artillery shell lying on the floor of the bunker.

It was not long after he arrived that more Knights and Paladins arrived on scene to investigate, only to come to the same conclusion the Head Paladin reached.

" _They're trying to bury us with artillery barrage! Lock down all chemicals, secure all technology at the lowest point of the bunker, and prepare all Paladins for battle. Conscript the Knights as well, we're going to need them! Let's move people, let's move!"_ Pincer shouted, with the Paladins and Knights rushing around the bunker both avoiding incoming shells and preparing for a fierce battle outside.

The New California Republic had been out there for a few days. Blockade operation was nothing new, but the artillery was. They must have snuck it in overnight almost, and if Pincer was correct, they would be heavily guarded. This was not going to be easy-…no, but what choice did they have? If they stayed inside the bunker it would collapse on top of them. This was the only logical course of action.

As Head Paladin Pincer prepared to attack, he looked behind at his squads of Paladins and Knights ready to engage in open warfare with the New California Republic.

" _Men, I can't speak long as that limits our time, so I will be brief. The New California Republic is going to be fortified out there, with mines and traps of various sorts, maybe even some Rangers. Just remember what your goal is. The Artillery is to be neutralized! Once that is done, commence mop up until you can retreat back into the Bunker. The Artillery is the goal. Let's rock and roll, gentlemen!"_ Pincer yelled, before opening the bunker doors and being met with a barrage of fire from NCR Service Rifles.

 **NCR Perspective:**

" _General, the Brotherhood are mounting a full-frontal assault from the bunker! We've begun engaging them at the door, but they are flooding out. Orders?!"_ The NCR Soldier said, as he was looked at by none other than Lt. Colonel Benji now made General.

" _As expected. Are the rangers in position?"_ He asked, only to receive a nod from the soldier.

" _Then they know what to do. Tell them they have my authorization."_ Benji said, sending the soldier away to relay his orders to his men.

After Lt. Colonel Benji helped President Dredd rise to power, he was rewarded for his "Loyalty to the New California Republic," by being given the rank of General of the Armies of the New California Republic. The highest-ranking officer in the New California Military, and placed him in charge of war planning and anti-brotherhood operations.

Although Benji only cared about the well-being of the New California Republic and none of personal pride, he had to admit that he did enjoy the attention he got from the new president after he secured the office of the presidency.

In front of Benji, he watched the battle unfold in front of him as he provided over watch from a distance with binoculars.

The Brotherhood were taking serious losses. Mainly due to the continued barrage of artillery dropping or heavily injuring many Brotherhood Squads. The remaining squads however appeared undeterred, fighting tooth and nail against every New California Republic soldier in his path. Some managed to step on the cleverly placed mine traps scattered around, taking out more Brotherhood Paladins who appeared to be faltering in their battle lines.

Not all was golden though. The Brotherhood had so far managed to destroy one of their howitzers, leaving only two more left. It was after the destruction of the first howitzer, that the New California Republic Rangers began to open fire on Brotherhood squads with Anti-Material rifles from a distance. The Brotherhood attempted to retaliate with more heavier weapons including Gauss Rifles to target, only managing to hit a very small amount of rangers due to the large weapon barrage impacting their vision.

" _Pretty soon, there will be no more Brotherhood of Steel in the west. And after what you all did to Shady Sand and San Francisco, it'll be better with you gone."_ Benji said, forming a smile to the thought of the Brotherhood being entirely destroyed after what they did to his unit.

 **Brotherhood Perspective:**

" _GET SOME YOU SONS OF BRAHMIN SHIT!"_ Head Paladin Pincer shouted out, opening fire with his Gauss Rifle whenever he was given the chance to hit someone.

The battle was going poor for the Brotherhood to say the least, but at least they were trying. The amount of power armored soldiers lying dead on the ground didn't bring a since of ease to him, and only encouraged him to continue taking out his rage on the NCR Troopers.

Eventually, he dropped his own Gauss Rifle on the ground and proceeded to rush another gone by himself, sprinting as fast as he could in his power armor. Shots from service rifles continued to ring at his armor providing substantial damage, but he continued undeterred.

Once he reached the gun, he swiftly issued a fierce beat down with the Power Armor on the sentries, and using all his strength proceeding to push the Howitzer into firing range towards the last remaining Howitzer in sight and fired.

The last Howitzer was destroyed, but the bunker had enough. Almost like clockwork, the bunker he had called home had entirely collapsed in on itself from the barrage of artillery.

Dust began to settle around the complex, and all hostilities seemed to freeze from both the New California Republic and the few remaining Brotherhood Paladins and Knights.

For the Brotherhood, they saw ruins of ideals. Technology either destroyed, or lost. Buried under the fires of old-world machinery. And for the New California Republic, they saw a new future. One without a powerful foe holding them back. A victory to cherish for future generations.

" _NOOOOOOOOO!"_ Pincer shouted, grabbing the closest rifle of a dead NCR Soldier as he began to charge the NCR Soldiers who all turned on him in the largest barrage of firepower ever witnessed.

Pincer fell to the ground, and proceeded to crawl in the dirt with the last remnant of fight that he still had inside his body that hadn't either gone numb, or was dripping out blood.

The sky was going blurry, and he needed air. He took off his helmet, and watched as the remaining Paladins and Knights were gunned down by the NCR Rangers and soon found himself face to face with an NCR Veteran Ranger in full duster, holding a Sequoia up to his head.

Was this how Head Paladin Rhombus felt on his expedition in the southern regions? Was this how Elder Maxson the Second felt in his crusade against the Vipers? Maybe-…this is what the Enclave felt when they lost their Oil Rig to an explosion caused by the Chosen One? This-…was terrible.

" _That's enough Ranger. Get a medic, and let's take this man in."_ General Benji said, before the ranger dismissed himself.

Benji leaned down to the rather calm paladin who's breathing had slowed, and looked him right in the eye.

"Doesn't feel good, now does it? Feeling like you failed your fellow comrades. Losing what you held dear? Watching helplessly, as your friends are massacred? This is for San Francisco and Shady Sands. And I hope they make you pay for all of it once we get you in front of a judge." Benji said, as he watched Pincer go into a state of unconsciousness before the medic arrived.

" _Get him prepared for transport. We're not going to be staying for too long. Our work is done here."_ Benji said to the medic, before making his way towards the rest of the men to survey the battle.

* * *

 **Authors Note:**

Fallout2281 - There will be more stories. I don't wanna explain why this one is ending within a few chapters, because it'll be spoilers if I do it. Just know, there are reasons for it. I don't have any plans to abandon this. I feel like I have a great premise here that I feel has been a story that's been needing to get written for some time, but hasn't for some reason. Maybe someone could do my story better, sure as I'm not perfect. But I will at least open the door to possibility.

As for this chapter, hope you all enjoyed it and review, follow, etc. Is this the end of the Brotherhood? What will happen with Pincer? Is Dredd evil, misguided, or good? So many questions, not enough to cover. Can't wait to hear your thoughts though. Until next time.


	33. Chapter XXXIII: Dredd and Dead

February 17th, 2249

" _I'm losing it here! I'm losing it!"_ Dredd said, as he paced around his office in rapid succession, with a worried look on his face.

Over the past few days, he attempted to call in favors from the northern settlements who flatly turned him down, seeing his situation as a lost cause and in the process, infuriating the president who was quickly losing options in a deteriorating situation.

The New California Republic Gold Reserves had been fully destroyed by the Brotherhood, and numerous reports of hit and run attacks by a large Brotherhood force was being reported in all corners of the country.

" _I destroy their infamous Lost Hills, and they're unbroken. I capture who I thought was the final survivor of the Brotherhood, and yet they're attacking in droves! And this war is costing us more than I would have ever thought."_ Dredd said to himself, as he continued to pace around his office.

As he paced around, he continued to berate the Brotherhood offensive to himself until he was interrupted by an NCR Ranger who had busted inside the office.

" _Mr. President! The Brotherhood are mounting an assault on our location. We need to evacuate you, now!"_ The ranger said, soon being met by other rangers.

" _So, this is my presidency? A coward who at every opportunity runs from the sight of danger into the warm embrace of an NCR Ranger when times get tough. What would my legacy be if I did this? And what message would that send to my enemies? No, I could not evacuate. I'm going to make a stand, right now. At least, I will have my dignity of actually doing something in face of danger, unlike my previous affiliation."_ Dredd thought to himself.

" _Sir, we need to go now."_ The Ranger said.

" _No."_ Dredd said, in a rather calm and low voice, looking to the Ranger who appeared to be rather confused.

" _No, what sir?"_ The Ranger asked.

" _No, I'm tired of running. It's time to face this head on. I'm staying right here."_ Dredd said, crossing his arms.

"Sir, if that's what you want-…." The Ranger said, being cut off by Dredd.

" _It is. Prepare for the defense of the building. This will be our last stand."_ Dredd said, before receiving a salute from the Ranger who had begun to carry out his orders.

" _Ugh-…would've been nice to have my Power Armor. But, beggars can't be choosers."_ Dredd said.

He then proceeded over to a nearby cabinet, opening it up and pulls out a Plasma Rifle, with as many microfusion cells as he could carry on himself. He laid the weapon down on the desk, as sounds of gunfire and lasers began to erupt outside between advancing Brotherhood and NCR forces.

He then proceeded to take out a pair of combat boots, along with a full set of combat armor that had been stored away, slipping into it with relative ease and picking up his Plasma Rifle.

It took no more than five minutes for Dredd to be fully suited and ready for war, and in that time the laser rifle fire had reached the outer perimeter of the building. Dredd began to embrace his body against the wall, taking a peak out of a nearby window the gauge the size of the Brotherhood force assaulting his town.

From the looks of it, there seemed to be at least thirty of them out there. And the NCR Garrison was getting cut down as if they were no more then scraps of paper. The Rangers fared much better, using distance to their advantage to cut down on some of the advancing paladins, but nowhere near enough to turn the tide of battle due to their large numbers.

What did strike Dredd as strange, was the design imprinted on the armor the Brotherhood was wearing and the ones who wore no Power Armor at all.

In their torso, was an unknown symbol. It had Brotherhood Cogs, but was distinctly colored, with additional markings that seemed to be close to the old tribal markings he would read about during his time in the Brotherhood.

" _This doesn't look like the Lost Hills Brotherhood. Did they call for reinforcements from another chapter? These people almost look rag-tag."_ Dredd said, watching the battle unfold before him.

He soon popped out of the window, shooting the rifle at the Power Armored Brotherhood troops and retreating to cover when they discovered his location. His tactic was to use the windows of the building to his advantage, going from different windows to constantly keep the Brotherhood on alert while he down as many of their advance troops as he could aim at.

With the help of the NCR Rangers Anti-Material Rifle and even their Ranger Sequoia, the tactic was proving mighty effective with at least twenty Brotherhood paladins already lying dead in the street.

However, it was not meant to last. The Brotherhood had gotten close enough to the building to kick in the front door and begin fighting the remaining Rangers and Dredd in close-quarters combat.

With their heavy weapons, they were able to deliver the maximum amount of covering fire to ensure the Rangers and Dredd had to take extended periods between shots to remain in cover or face a barrage of lasers dropping them to their doom from the Gatling Lasers some of the paladins carried.

The battle continued a good ten minutes more from this point, with the NCR Rangers falling slowly, one by one with a ratio of three paladins to one ranger. Dredd, being the final one in the building to still be fighting actively against the approaching Brotherhood force was running low on his ammunition.

" _Fuck. I need to deliver more damage."_ Dredd said to himself, attempting to make his way out of the building without being spotted.

He would've made it too, as he reached an open window with no-one seemingly in sight as he climbed through only to be smacked in his face with the back of a laser rifle from the side.

As he began to recover from falling on the ground from the force of the laser, he looked to see who had smacked him in the face, only to see a female paladin looking down at him with a smile.

" _President Dredd, I assume?"_ She said, smiling.

" _That's Mr. President, to you Paladin."_ Dredd said, as he looked over the lone paladin before speaking any more words.

" _Who the hell are you? And did Head Paladin Pincer send you down here to finish the job he couldn't?"_ Dredd said.

" _I don't know who Pincer is, but I am Paladin Commander Paula of the Midwestern Confederacy. And I am the one who will be ushering your defeat today."_ Paula said.

Dredd sighed, chuckling to himself a little as he shook his head.

" _A rogue chapter of the Brotherhood. I should've known by those markings that you were all just rogue. Or-…at least that's what the Elder Council called you, in less than kind words I might add."_ Dredd said.

" _The Elder Council has just-…been rather short-sighted as of late. Once we destroy the New California Republic, the Elder Council may invite us back into their ranks."_ Paula said, looking rather optimistic.

" _The Elder Council is dead, little girl. Lost Hills is destroyed by my forces, and there is nothing left. And the same fate that became of them, is the same fate that will happen to you."_ Dredd said, with a smirk as he watched her smile disappear from her face.

" _No-…no! I'm going to make you eat those words. Enough talk, let's see if you can back up your statements."_ Paula said, as she pulled a standard revolver out on Dredd.

" _Little girl hiding behind a gun? Typical. A real paladin would take me in hand to hand combat, as they would have no further need to use a weapon once their enemy was in a position similar to mine. But hey, if this is the way of a coward then I feel it's appropriate."_ Dredd said, continuing to smirk at Paula who began to get an expression of anger smeared across her face.

" _You're right, Dredd. Let me slip into something a bit more comfortable then before I kick your ass."_ Paula said, exiting her suit of Power Armor and dropping the revolver.

" _Let's do this then? Show me what you got."_ Paula said.

" _Ladies first…"_ Dredd quickly returned.

Paula took the bait. She began to charge Dredd, throwing a few punches in rapid succession towards a select few parts of his body. Dredd, seeing the charge attempted to dodge and counter with his own moves of swiping Paula's feet to cause her to loose balance and open her up to increased strikes from Dredd's fist.

Paula managed to land two in the chest and one in the shoulder, with Dredd managing to knock her onto the ground and send two strikes directly to her face, only to be rolled over with Paula managing to land a few more strikes before being slammed into the ground on her back once Dredd got them both up.

Dredd looked over at the revolver, attempting to rush for it as Paula quickly made her way after him, tackling Dredd back onto the ground as he grabbed the revolver.

" _You will not win!"_ Paula shouted, landing more punches straight to his face, while Dredd would proceed to use both of his hands to attempt to dislodge her left leg from her body.

As the leg began to bend at even more extreme angles, Paula began to wince in pain until Dredd could retake the initiative and knock her onto the ground and grab the revolver.

" _I guess this is the end of you Paladin Commander. And so young too. I do this because of duty to country, not personal gain. I'm sure you understand."_ Dredd raised the revolver to Paula, as blood dripped from both their noses and Paula stared back at him with a smirk.

" _Actually, it's the end of you Dredd. Look behind you."_ Paula said, watching as Dredd quickly turned his head and was met with the barrel of a Ranger Sequoia.

" _Wait!"_ Dredd yelled, as the trigger was pulled and the bullet sliced through the middle of his head and exiting out the back, causing the body to fall backwards with blood rushing out from the wound.

The one who pulled the trigger then dropped it on the ground and rushed to Paula to check on her wounds.

" _Paladin Commander, are you alright?"_ The man said.

" _Yes, I'm alright Clarence. And for god sakes, don't call me that. Just call me Paula, alright?"_ Paula said, being helped to her feet by Clarence.

" _That was quite the fight. He seemed to be rather experienced in fighting. And from the way he talked, seemed like ex-brotherhood which would explain it."_ Clarence deduced, as he watched Paula simply shrug.

" _Oh well. The President of the NCR is dead, but unfortunately so is our western chapter. We will need to inform The General of these developments. They must not go unpunished."_ Paula said, making her towards their airship as the rest of the Brotherhood began to do a final sweep of the town.

* * *

February 25th, 2249

Mr. House buzzed on his monitor, as Washington went over the events of today along with his capture of Ely, Nevada to begin ore shipments back to New Vegas.

The two had been talking for nearly an hour, with Washington informing Mr. House that with the influx of miners from the NCR, they have been able to get the mines fully operational up north and should expect the first shipment of the ore in the next two weeks to begin production of their mighty Vertibird fleet.

However, Mr. House although responding to the governor, seemed rather disinterested, or rather distracted despite only keeping the same stone-cold expression he is infamous for with Washington for having.

" _House!"_ Washington shouted, capturing his attention once more.

"Huh? What is it governor?" House said.

" _I just informed you about the New California Republic's collapse, and you said absolutely nothing. I was sure you would've had some reaction to this news."_ Washington said.

" _It was predictable, governor. The New California Republic was a democracy. And if you want to see the fate of democracies, look out the window…"_ House said, drawing a raised eyebrow from Washington.

" _Democracy isn't all that bad. I mean, that is the end goal here."_ Washington said.

" _Governor, democracy has been a failed experiment since it's development. It is the root of all evil, and must be abolished in it's entirety. Even the great philosopher Aristotle understood that Democracy was not the best form of government. And we just saw what happened both with the New California Republic and the old United States what happens to democratic countries. Hell-…you used to be part of the Enclave, that was allowed to foster it's own interest in such a system. If that's not enough proof, I don't know what is."_ Mr. House said.

" _Well, Mr. House. If democracy is not the best form of government, what is in your opinion?"_ Washington inquired.

" _A monarchy. A monarchy with the right monarch will preserve the rights of the people, embody the state, and if it's constitutional cannot become dictorial except in cases where the state is threatened. No special interests. No corruption. Simple, yet effective."_ Mr. House said.

"I will take your suggestion into consideration Mr. House. But as of now, I disagree. Onto other matters though. The New California Republic is over. I've just received word that President Dredd is dead, and most area's that made up the republic are now in open revolt against it, or being subjugated by the Brotherhood of Steel in their terror campaign." Washington said.

" _I feel, as though you already have a plan laid out for this governor."_ Mr. House said.

" _I do. I believe we should use this as an opportunity to expand. With our biggest threat being the New California Republic divided, and disunited, we should use this opportunity to spread all across Nevada and into neighboring states. Then once we built up enough strength, destroy the Brotherhood in the west and continue our ever-growing expansion. This is what I wanted your opinion on."_ Washington said.

" _Sure, works for me."_ Mr. House said, earning a sigh from Washington.

" _Alright House, I'm going to go. Clearly today is not your day to talk."_ Washington said, as he made his way out of the Lucky 38.

The truth was, Mr. House was not in the mood to talk. He had other things on his mind concerning REPCONN Aerospace. He had just received word from Dr. Crockett that the testing facility did indeed have three rockets, but that they were poorly calibrated and would need some work before they could be used.

This wouldn't have been a problem if Mr. House had the ultimate authority to order such operations, but in these circumstances, he didn't and would need Washington to sign off on them. It began to appear to him that his space program would have to wait, and he released Dr. Crockett back to Washington to further the ends of the United Settlements.

"One day, I will have my space program operational. One day…" Mr. House said to himself, before giving a sigh.

* * *

 **Authors Note:**

Welp, the New California Republic officially no longer exists, and the Midwestern Brotherhood seems to be making themselves a new confederacy in California. Was Mr. House right? Is Democracy the wrong system to return to the Wasteland? Will the Brotherhood become a powerhouse on the West with the old NCR Settlements? More questions to answer in future chapters. Hope you all enjoyed. Oh, and there will only be two more chapters. And I'm not sure how long they will be, but I will do my best to keep them at their usual length. Until next time!


	34. Chapter XXXIV: End of a Republic

March 5th, 2249

After the Battle of Lost Hills, Head Paladin Pincer was captured by General Benji's forces and was taken into the custody of the New California Republic. For Pincer this turned out to be one of the low-points of his life, losing all that he had hoped for and dreamed of due to a group of savages that simply could overrun the Brotherhood.

General Benji ordered that he be taken to the Followers of the Apocalypse in The Boneyard for medical treatment. The Followers, although not affiliated with the New California Republic, did possess the best medical technology in the wasteland and with the fall of Shady Sands and The Hub, options were running low for the remaining New California Republic forces.

The Boneyard, was the last remaining New California Republic stronghold in the west and with the death of President Dredd, didn't even seem to truly be a legitimate version of the republic. General Benji had assumed full military control of the city from civilian authority by implementing martial law in wake of the destruction of the democratic government in the name of security, making him the de facto new president of the republic.

Outside of the ruins of The Boneyard, northern towns like Redding and New Reno had fully declared themselves independent from the dying republic, not wanting to be associated with their upcoming destruction. This left only The Boneyard, Dayglow, Anza-Borrego, Irvine, and a few settlements in Baja California still under the banner of the NCR.

The Brotherhood of Steel continued to be relentless in their operations against Benji's forces. With the loss of Junktown a few days ago, it seems that nothing will stop their advance. It was around this time where the remaining citizens of the republic begin to plead and protest in the streets, demanding for the complete surrender of the New California Republic, and with the loss of major settlements to provide food, minerals, etc, these calls are gaining more and more traction and in a lot of cases leading to violent clashing between security forces and the people. Overall, the New California Republic was not in good shape.

General Benji however, had gotten news that Head Paladin Pincer had finally woken up and had travelled to The Followers headquarters in order to personally begin the interrogation of the captured soldier, who by the time he arrived was strapped into a chair and guarded by two NCR Privates.

" _Leave us."_ Benji said as the privates made their way out, leaving Benji and Pincer alone.

" _What do you want, general? Here to gloat more over your victory against the Brotherhood of Steel? Here to personally rub my failures in my face, demoralize my spirit? If this is what you came to do then save it. I'm in no mood…"_ Pincer said, looking rather defeated in his expression to which Benji merely stood in silence watching the ex-paladin wither from his previous glories.

Looking around the room, it was nothing special. As the Followers had set up inside of an old library, they merely converted some of the old offices into makeshift examination and holding rooms for patients. A small bed, couch, and a counter with some surgical tools were all that seemed to be present in Pincer's room from first glance, with a small window that illuminated light from the outside.

" _Your injuries, I hope that The Followers treated you well."_ Benji said, while still glancing over the equipment within the room.

" _It was a much better treatment then what I received from the NCR Rangers who were shooting at me. But I doubt my treatment is why you dragged yourself down here to see me. Maybe you're here to put me in front of President Dredd, for him to judge me like he does with the Enclave members?"_ Pincer said, coughing a small bit into his hand.

" _Although trying you for war-crimes is something I feel is imperative, that is not the reason I have come to see you. I love this little ruse you got going on here, but it's not going to work with me. You are going to explain to me why the Brotherhood are burning and kidnapping men, women, and children of the New California Republic? I at least thought the Brotherhood had more decency then to act like a group of tribals."_ Benji said, as he looked into the eyes of Pincer who appeared to be rather confused.

Pincer then look around his room, as he shook his head. Disgusted with what he was hearing.

" _What did you do with my Power Armor?"_ Pincer responded.

Within seconds, the hand of Benji swatted its way across the cheek of the Head Paladin, leaving a reddish mark in its place as he was lightly tilted to the side.

" _I'm asking the questions here, not you. Now as you know, New California law prohibits torture to be used on prisoners, and I plan to uphold that. But if you fail to answer my questions, I will place you in front of a firing squad, and you will be dead before night falls, am I understood?"_ Benji asked, watching the Head Paladin make his way back up to his properly seated position.

" _Yes-…fine. But I really have no idea what you're talking about general. The Brotherhood no longer-…"_ Pincer was stopped, when Benji sent another hard slap to his face.

" _Lying will get you nowhere! This is the last time I'm going to ask you. Why is the Brotherhood kidnapping and burning my populace?!"_ Benji shouted, as he watched the Head Paladin sigh to himself.

" _I-…don't know what you're talking about general, honestly."_ Pincer said, looking up at Benji.

Benji however, seemed to have enough of his lying. Giving a slight nod to Pincer, the general made his way out of the room and brought back the two NCR Troopers who were standing guard for Pincer, ordering them to prepare a firing squad for the man he felt was responsible for the grave loss of life of innocent men, women, and children.

The Followers, a rather apolitical entity in the republic immediately protested. They argued, pleaded, and begged General Benji not to commit this man to a firing squad, favoring a trial to at least ascertain his involvement before passing judgement. But these calls, like the the ones for peace with the Brotherhood, again fell on deaf ears.

Within an hour, a firing squad had been fully assembled outside of the library of the Followers and Pincer, still healing from his injuries was personally led out of the building by Benji to the brick wall lining the sides of the building.

Pincer, remained silent. If he was going to die, he was at least going to do it with his dignity. Not on the ground, crying and pleading for his life as he had seen so many men do before him, when he was the executioner.

As the line of troopers marched out to their positions, Pincer looked out along the camp to see not only the Followers lined up around the building, but also ordinary NCR citizens and troopers who had come to see justice be issued for the loss of their relatives in the Brotherhood-NCR War.

Benji, who had been coordinating the proceeding now stood between the firing squad and Pincer, as he began to give a speech.

" _Ladies and Gentlemen of the New California Republic. Behind me, stands a symbol of a dying order. A silver knight, coated in the blood and sweat of New Californian boys and girls. A traitor to the ideas of President Tandi, and a bringer of destruction to the New California Republic way of life. This, everyone is Head Paladin Pincer of the Brotherhood of Steel!"_ Benji shouted to the crowd, who began to make chants to commence the execution.

The chants were loud, and unique to his status. Some chanted for him to be burned alive. Some wanted him to be drowned like the troopers in San Francisco. Others, wanted him to be beaten. Overall, there wasn't a single moderating voice within the crowd that Pincer could hear, but he didn't seem to give it much care as he knew his fate.

" _Head Paladin Pincer, was in charge of the Brotherhood Expeditionary Force that allied with the New California Republic Army against the remaining Enclave remnants in the Camp Navarro military base in the northern regions. It was Pincer who led us to victory, and it is also Pincer who is leading us to our defeat. A two-faced unpredictable, unreliable character that must be put down like a rabid dog."_ Benji continued.

Pincer listened as Benji continued to give his personal rant to the crowd over him, but also seemed to be more focused on the words Benji and his own men had told him back in Lost Hills.

"The Brotherhood were kidnapping and slaughtering women and children? Burning down whole cities like tribals…" This was alien to his ears, as he went over the possibilities in his mind.

The force would need to be rather large and mobile to deliver the amount of damage necessary to carry out these actions, and if the Lost Hills Brotherhood was gone, it couldn't have been the Brotherhood actually committing these attacks, but it seems that the general didn't seem to care and simply wanted him punished.

The speech was nearing its end, as Pincer prepared to meet his dying fate. As the commands were beginning to be issued to the firing squad to prepare for the execution, everything suddenly stopped.

Pincer, saw in the distance a rather large airship approaching the city and within moments it hovered over the large crowd in the courtyard of the library. It seemed from where Pincer was standing, that Brotherhood markings were present on the side.

" _No-…no!"_ Benji shouted, as soon a huge megaphone began to broadcast a voice from the airship.

" _This is the Brotherhood of Steel. We have destroyed your capital city, obliterated your armies, and taken your territory. Enough have died in this war, and it's time for this to end. Surrender now, or suffer the same fates as other towns before you. This is your only warning!"_

Benji simply stared at the airship, while numerous amounts of thoughts ran through his mind. He could fight, but he knew against the Brotherhood at this point would merely prolong a conflict he was no longer willing to continue. He had originally planned to build up The Boneyard into an NCR Fortress, capable of at least defending itself from attack, but if the Brotherhood were already here that strategy had now been thrown out the window.

As his men looked at him for guidance, Benji looked over to Pincer with a rather vengeful expression.

" _This is all your fault! It's because of you, the wasteland will never be civilized! It's because of you, that thousands had to die for nothing! I hope you're happy with yourself Head Paladin, because you have set civilization back for centuries!"_ Benji shouted at Pincer, before spitting in his face in anger.

Pincer could not argue with him, although he did disagree. Thousands have died that didn't have too and he did share in that responsibility. Benji then proceeded to order his men to lay down their arms, as the courtyard was stormed by Brotherhood Paladins.

It all seemed to happen rather fast. Pincer was soon released from his bindings, and Benji seemed to be signing over documents to officially declare the Brotherhood of Steel the victor by signing over all remaining territories of the New California Republic to the Brotherhood of Steel before being summarily executed by the Brotherhood in front of the NCR Citizens to prove a point.

Pincer, wisely decided not to admit his Brotherhood affiliation to the paladins who began to question him privately, and was later released where he began to walk down the roads leading out of the city. Refusing to look back at the mess he was partially responsible for, and the genocide he refused to accept as the Brotherhoods doing.


	35. Chapter XXXV: A Final Goodbye

March 30th, 2249

In the dead of night in the Mojave, one could expect for it be a night of quiet ever since the Washington's Army completely secured the wasteland from the various raiders and unfriendly mutants. One could expect to be able to walk the stretches of highway, without being bothered by a radscorpion, or even a bloatfly. This is what was to be expected if you were the average citizen, but this was no average trip.

Speeding down the uncontested and life-less highways, Rong drove the motorcycle he was given by Washington months ago back into the wild-wasteland.

Over the months, he had gotten rather acquainted with the bike. Using it even on small errands around San Francisco to bolster his status as Captain among his subordinates, while also getting some small claim to fame by the locals. After all, one can only be super cordial for so long.

Coming down off the highways, he later pulled himself in front of the Governor's Mansion where the gate sentries proceeded to allow the man to pass once he showed his appropriate identification. Highly unorthodox, but when you have a meeting with the Governor, it seems that procedure can be bypassed.

As Rong made his way into the compound which by now looked almost like a desert fortress with all the new security features added onto it from his last visit, he proceeded to park his bike not far from the entrance of the building and made his way up to the front door with a silver briefcase in his right hand.

As he entered, he was immediately face to face with a female who seemed to be typing on a pre-war terminal in the lobby. The woman sat at a circular desk, wore red hair, creamy white skin with a small name plate reading "Cathy."

Rong watched the women who appeared to not even look at him, as he walked further into the mansion.

" _Name and profession, please?"_ The woman asked.

" _There are those words again…"_ Rong said to himself, as he maintained his composure as he listened to the various sounds coming from the woman's typing on the terminal.

" _Mr. Rong, Diplomatic Envoy from the Shi. I come with important news for the Governor. He is expecting me."_ Mr. Rong said.

" _The Shi huh'? A little far out from out west, Mr. Rong. Have the Brotherhood of Steel begun shelling San Francisco?"_ The woman asked, taking her eyes off her typing duties for a moment as she waited for a response.

" _No-…our city is fine. But I do not believe this is the-…appropriate conversation to be having in light of these urgent concerns I must address with the Governor."_ Mr. Rong said.

" _Yes, Miss Cathy. This gentleman must not be delayed any further. Go ahead and send him up."_ Washington said, looking down from the stairway as he headed down the hall towards his office.

" _Well, you heard him. The office is up the stairs and down the hall. The signs should lead you from there. Good luck!"_ Cathy said, turning back to the terminal as she proceeded to resume her earlier typing.

Rong nodded to her, not speaking a word as he climbed the stairway to the second floor and followed the directional guides to the office of the governor. The door hanged open as the governor sat on the edge of his office desk, looking out the window towards the night sky of the wasteland.

" _Governor Washington, I have news from the Shi Emperor that I believe you will be delighted to hear."_ Rong said, as the governor turned his attention from the night time sky to him.

" _Oh? Do tell, Mr. Rong."_ Washington said, giving a friendly smile to the man as he crossed his arms and awaited the news.

" _The Emperor, was very pleased that you have completed the training of our new pilots and we are eternally grateful. The Emperor, in all his infinite wisdom has granted me the authority to bestow upon the United Settlements, the technological progress the Shi have made over the centuries it has been on the mainland. We hope it will be used to further the cause of righteousness, and bring peace and stability to a world of chaos and uncertainty."_ Rong said, making his way over to the desk and placing the briefcase down on top of it, unlocking it with a special code.

Washington stayed silent, watching as he unlocked the briefcase and once it was unlocked, personally inspected the contents of the case itself. The documents, experiments, and miscellaneous data rumored that the Shi possessed did not lie. It was all there, from biology, genetics, physics, etc. Say what you want about the china-man, they sure know how to do what is needed in circumstances less then desirable.

" _This, is amazing Mr. Rong. Please send the emperor my gratitude for his gracious gift. I assume now that the Shi will be making the return to China?"_ Washington inquired, slowly closing the briefcase, but not all the way.

" _Yes, Governor. The Shi have been preparing old aircraft at the old San Francisco International Airport for months, but we lacked pilots. Now that you have graciously delivered them to us as promised, we just wanted to uphold our side of the bargain. We will be departing within the next few days."_ Mr. Rong said, as Washington gave a nod to the man.

" _That is great, Mr. Rong. I truly hope that you and your people have a safe trip back to China, regardless of what the conditions are back there. I must inquire though, why a man of your status would want to personally deliver this rather small message to me rather than just send a subordinate?"_ Washington asked.

" _Well, I volunteered for this Governor. I wanted to see it through until the end. And besides, if this is the last time we're going to meet despite us only meeting once before, I believe that I deserve at least one more of your old war stories. Like the World War I lesson you taught me during our first meeting."_ Mr. Rong said, giving his own grin to the governor.

"Alright, Mr. Rong. I'll bite on this one, but I'm actually going to stay out of the history books this time. This story, concerns me. And I think you'll find some inspiration in it, just like I did when I went through it. And hopefully, if you do it right, you can use such inspiration to forge the future you wish to live in. I can only hope." Washington said, hopping off the desk as he made his way to his seat and proceeded to lower himself down into it before pointing to one of the vacant chairs in-front of his desk.

" _Go on, take a seat. I'm not letting you leave until this story is over now."_ Washington said, watching as Mr. Rong followed his instruction without hesitation.

" _Now, I'm going to tell you something I'm sure you already know. I'm a descendant of the original Enclave from the Oil Rig out west. That's pretty much a giveaway with you guys, as I know you keep tabs on this wasteland. What you may not know though, is how I got off that oil rig. Now that, is a story…"_

* * *

August 12th, 2242

" _God-…this is boring!"_

This was the sentiment shared with all troopers assigned to perimeter defense of Control Station Enclave, and seemed to be the calling card of the Enclave Control Company.

" _Shut it Hodge. I know this can get boring, but having it repeated is not going to make it get any less boring. Now return back to watch duty."_

This was Sergeant Granite. He never yelled, and he was a pretty cool guy all around. Always wondered how he became a Sergeant, but he did have some combat experience under his power armor that I knew I wasn't ready to question. Especially experience that goes hand in hand with Special Agent Frank Horrigan.

Speaking of Horrigan, he seemed to be rather on edge today, not that Horrigan really ever had a normal day. Today though, he seemed even more off than usual and Sergeant Granite seemed to take notice.

" _Did one of you play a joke of Horrigan today that's got him in this weird mood?"_ Sergeant Granite turned to us, waiting for a reply when all he got were shakes of the head.

Silence was observed for a good minute, before the mutant himself walked over to the Enclave Control Company, looking as intimidating as ever.

" _Intruders have been reported, being led by some damn commie mutie bastard from the mainland. Secure the area, and meet up with me to intercept."_ Frank Horrigan said, before marching away to presumably cut the intruders off from escape.

" _Alright, you heard the man. This is what we've been training for, so let's get to it."_ Sergeant Granite said, as the squad prepared for the battle they were sure would be taking place.

Although there was only four of us being Sergeant Granite, Specialist Hodge, Private First Class Mendez, and me a mere Corporal myself, we felt like if anyone would be responsible for containing this incursion onto our platform, we were the best qualified and trained to handle whatever was thrown our way.

Call it blind ambition, or outright ignorance. In those moments it gave us strength, and Sergeant Granite seized on the opportunity we had given him to begin issuing out his orders for the interception of the _"mutie,"_ as they were known at the time.

We all made our way inside, maintaining proper formations and recalling all our training that could come to mind in our adrenaline young minds. It didn't take long, but we ran across the vary person we planned to capture. This-…was the Chosen One everyone speaks about.

Sergeant Granite was the first to speak to him, ordering him to halt before beginning to start up a conversation about the dangers of Frank Horrigan.

The Chosen One however, seemed undeterred. I was amazed by this. He showed no fear, despite the fact that he was hearing the grizzly details of a monster that had been allowed to roam the Oil Rig since he was pulled from the Mariposa Military Base and be conscripted into the President's Secret Service.

Eventually, the Chosen One managed to convince Sergeant Granite to not only spare him, but also to help defeat Frank Horrigan for a ticket off the Oil Rig which was apparently going to explode.

It was on that day that I would not only open my eyes to the true nature of the Enclave, but also be given the ultimate inspiration one could be given in life that inspired me to create the United Settlements.

The Enclave Control Company proceeded to engage in battle against the very monstrosity that at one point gave me nightmares just to hear his name. With the Chosen One's skills and our firepower, we were able to make rather quick work of the monster and later escaped to a waiting ship before the Oil Rig exploded in a mushroom cloud.

I was lucky to be alive, but at the same time I was strangely happy. President Dick Richardson, a long-time adversary of mine was dead in an explosion, and his evil schemes against the Wasteland would never come to be.

But that's not where my inspiration came from. It came from my conversation I had with the Chosen One moments before disembarking from the PMV Valdez, as it was called.

"Hey, we're approaching port, but I have to ask you something. What made you risk your life just to get to that Oil Rig? What drove you to fight past every adversary, every challenge, and somehow come out on top?" I asked, watching as the Chosen One stared with a smile towards the approaching bay.

" _Because war never changes, trooper. No matter in who's name it's fought. As long as there is are differing visions for Wasteland stability and dominance, war will be a fact of life. And if you're like me, you wanna be able to grab something you love and hang onto it for as long as you can. For me, that's my fellow tribesman. For you, I assume your fellow troopers. Hang onto them. Never let them go. Because although war never changes, people do. And people have the power to shape the world to their liking, regardless of the obstacles placed in their path."_ The Chosen One said, as the ship soon began to pull into port.

" _Why did you save us back there then? You could've just let us die, along with the rest of the Enclave on that Oil Rig, yet you saved us…"_ I then asked, confused.

The Chosen One remained silent, merely watching as his villagers proceeded to disembark from the PMV Valdez as the Chosen One merely sighed.

" _Because although you were a part of an organization I am glad to rid of the wasteland of, everyone is in need of redemption. The Enclave were holding centuries old grudges of old ideas, and look where that led them? Holding grudges is not how you win the war. You win it, by surviving it. And I believe by offering you four another chance to make things right, you can use your resources and knowledge for good. Or at least-…pass it on to someone who will."_ The Chosen One said, before disembarking himself from the PMV Valdez.

A short conversation, and to the average observer probably not something of note. But to me, it spoke to an inner part of my subconscious I had been struggling against since my introduction into the Enclave Propaganda I was forced to learn as a young boy.

Sergeant Granite soon placed his hand on my shoulder, as he gave a slight nod.

"Come on Washington. Let's regroup at Camp Navarro. It should still be in operation…" Sergeant Granite said, as the remaining members of the team began to depart from the oil rig along with me into the direction of Camp Navarro. Never to see the Chosen One again, but holding an ideal that could transform the wasteland.

* * *

March 30th, 2249

" _Now that is a story, governor."_ Mr. Rong said, as he rubbed his chin,

" _It's the truth, Mr. Rong. Granted, there are a lot of earlier experiences in my childhood leading up to that moment that could offer that clarity, I believe the point of my tale has been told to a degree I am satisfied with."_ Washington said, giving a smile to Mr. Rong.

" _War, never changes. The War to end all Wars. Would this imply that War is-…an inevitable portion of the human experience, governor?"_ Mr. Rong said, as Washington merely gave a chuckle.

" _I'm not a philosopher now, Mr. Rong. I will leave that up to your own opinion. But, I will say that I do agree with the Chosen One on his comment about people. People can change. Maybe this is the time to initiate such a change. For maybe a few decades, there may still be bloodshed. But maybe, it can all be put to rest if brought under a common banner."_ Washington said.

" _Intriguing philosophical viewpoint, however I must beg one more question to be answered by you, before I must take leave."_ Mr. Rong said, as Washington proceeded to stand.

" _You stated that you were a Private First Class at the time of that story, but my contacts seemed to have implied that you were an officer in Camp Navarro. Mind explaining this disconnect?"_ Mr. Rong inquired.

" _Field Promotion once I got to Navarro. I was actually promoted to Sergeant upon reaching Navarro by the base commander, and three years later I was promoted to lieutenant. Positions seem to just open up when most of your rank and file have taken an eternal leave of absence."_ Washington smirked, as he extended his free hand out to Mr. Rong.

Mr. Rong, graciously accepted and proceeded to return to the handshake as he stood up and bowed to the governor.

" _Thank you, governor. I will keep your words in mind on my way back to China. Thank you for the story."_ Mr. Rong said, before politely excusing himself from the room.

Washington proceeded to look back out his window towards the night sky, as he soon heard the sound of a motorcycle cranking itself up and proceeding away from the mansion and down the highway back towards California.

"Are you ever coming to bed?"

Washington turned around to see Katelyn dressed in a red nightie, leaning seductively on the door frame into his office.

" _Oh, Ranger Katelyn. I thought you were asleep already."_ Washington teased, as she made her way over to him and slowly pushed him down into his chair.

" _So you think, you can tell your buddies a story of your life, but not share it with me as well?"_ Katelyn teased, as she ran a finger down the middle of his torso down to his belt.

" _I was going to tell you, promise. I just needed to find the right time."_ Washington said, as he chuckled, watching as Katelyn began to mount herself ontop of his lap.

 _"This means war, Washington."_ Katelyn said, as giggling as Washington stood up and leaned her across his desk, looking down into her eyes which seemed to sparkle with the moonlight coming down form the windows into the room.

 _"And war-…never changes…"_ Washington replied, before pressing his lips firmly onto her lips, holding her within an embrace as the two proceed to make out, after a long year of buildup, setbacks, and awkward exchanges. All consummating in a victory for Washington. At least-…for now.

* * *

 **Authors Note:**

Well, that's it. That is Manifest Destiny - An Enclave Tale Episode I. I hope you all enjoyed it, as it was my very first fanfiction from start to finish. I'm gunna be honest here. When I started this story, I started with only one goal in mind. That goal was to make the Enclave have a portrayal as more then just your generic villain that you see in Fallout 2 and 3. I always felt that they always had more potential, and could at least be put more in a gray area of storytelling like Obsidian treated Caesar's Legion in Fallout New Vegas.

If you all are not aware, there is a ShoddyCast video on "Why Caesar's Legion is Good," which I HIGHLY recommend a watch as it gave me a whole new perspective on that faction in New Vegas, and helped inspire me in parts of this story. Going back to the generic villain argument, I didn't want this Enclave to be the ultimate goody goody, but I didn't want them to be evil either, although some of their actions may still be questionable to achieve their ultimate goal. Overall, I really like the result of this. I never knew from the start how I wanted this to end exactly, and just wrote whenever I was inspired and I am rather pleased. I got an Enclave story that is plausible, not far-fetched from actual canon, despite the fact I used semi-canon material and plan to continue using such material as it covers area's of Fallout that we have not seen in an actual game but provide a lot of context for additional lore like Fallout Van Buren, Fallout Brotherhood of Steel, etc.

I do plan on doing a sequel to this at some point, but I do not have a set location for it yet. Now this is the time for you all to give your final reviews on this story. I know there were some spelling or grammatical errors at parts, but overall I don't think it was too bad. What are some things you loved and hated about the story? What do you want to see more or less of whenever I decide to do a sequel? Where might a sequel to this need to take place? And what are your opinions on our main characters like Washington, Pincer, Dredd, House, or anyone else really? Please review and leave your comments as I enjoy reading them and look for inspiration. Thank you, and have a good day/night.


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